Chronicles of Vault
by The Duke of Destiny
Summary: Facing a crisis of overpopulation, the kingdoms of Remnant joined together to pool their resources and build a colony named Vault, to foster new life and train a new generation of huntsmen in Lustre Academy. Now one young Faunus will venture into Grimm slaying, confronting mercenaries and uncovering the seething corruption. OC focused AU.
1. V1C1: A New Dawn

**Volume 1**

Chapter 1: A New Dawn

When Cedar had woken up that morning, a part of him was convinced he was still dreaming. That, as he stood there gazing up at the vast mechanical aircraft settled into the docks, marvelling at its sheer size and scope, he was still in his bed with his head stuffed between too many pillows. It had taken a good few pinchings of his cheek and a couple rounds of rubbing his eyes to assure himself that, yes indeed, this was no dream.

And that left him with the sinking feeling that he may be horribly out of his depth.

It had been three months since he'd graduated combat school and passed his final exams. And another two months and a half til he received a letter of invitation to the academy. He'd been so astounded he'd gotten it he ended up crying slightly, just out of happiness. Though some of his friends had taken it that he'd been upset… that was fun to explain to them. His parents had been a little bit more pensive, suggesting he just be home schooled or find a job a little more low key and safer. But no, getting that letter had been assurance to him, that this was what he wanted to do. To become a huntsman and to protect the people…

And so, here he stood, feet resting on the white stone ground of the docks in the bright morning, the wind tugging at the thin white scarf around his neck and making him pull his jacket on a little bit tighter, his two fox ears atop his head blowing back from the gust, a rather plain bag in one hand carrying everything he needed. People were moving past him of all creeds, colours, and as he saw a curled tail slink past him, even species too, all into the huge airship that would be carrying on the chosen students to their new home in the academy beyond.

...okay but did this thing REALLY have to be this big?! How many new students were getting on this thing?! Were they all from the town? Had they flown over from other kingdoms? Were any of them going to be expelled on the first day like he'd heard stories of at Atlas academy? His mind buzzed with the angry hornets of doubt and uncertainty, so much so he got distracted from his surroundings and ended up walking right into someone. He sprawled on his back and held his nose from where it had connected with the other person.

"Sorry, sorry!" He said quickly, trying to look at who he'd bumped into. "I was totally distracted, didn't see you, hope I didn't hurt you!" He rambled, only to be silenced when a gloved hand reached down to help him up. The hand belonged to the copper haired girl he'd bumped into, her hair in a fishtail braid slung over one shoulder, her eyes bright and her smile even brighter.

"Hey, no worries! Let me help you up." Cedar was surprised as the girl managed to heft him right back up to his feet. He was oddly reminded of a time he'd been fishing and had been pulled into the water by a very big tuna. "It's alright to be nervous, i'm kinda nervous too!" the big girl admitted. Cedar couldn't help but glance over her biceps and notice how toned and strong they were. He felt briefly inadequate.

"So i'm not alone huh? That's a relief." Cedar chuckled nervously, then realising he was still clutching onto her hand. He attempted to play it off by shaking it quickly. "My name's Cedar Glade, nice to meet you." That seemed to work out, judging by how her wide smile grew yet wider.

"Lariah Marine, nice to meet you too." She replied, releasing his hand from her firm grip. "Come on, we should probably get onboard or it'll leave without us!" And with that, the copper haired muscle girl ran on ahead, leaving him in the dust…

It wasn't that he didn't want to follow, it's that his feet were glued to the spot. He was honestly finding it hard to take those steps to get onboard. It took some effort to finally get himself moving, as the crowds began to peter out around him. His ticket in hand and his feet dragging across the ground, he made it into the ship.

Now he was faced with his next big problem. Finding a seat.

Thanks to his concrete footed walk into the ship, most of the seats had already been taken. The interior of the ship was simple enough with wood panelled floors and leather cushioned metal seats set up in rows, the windows spanning all around the ship's exterior. Cedar wormed his way between the seats and finally found one to slip into, right at the end of a row, barely even paying any mind to who was sitting next to him.

Right as he sat, there was a sudden lurching in the ship around him, causing the students to shift in their seats. The great mechanical vessel's engines roared into life, its mighty fans spun up and slowly lifted it off of the docks, a great wind blustering from below it. With the horizon ahead, the great ship set off, it's precious cargo of young hopefuls safely contained within. It left the town behind and soared out over open land and into open sky.

After a few moments of tightly gripping his seat's armrests, Cedar relaxed a little. He wasn't a huge fan of flying, but at least he hadn't made a mess of himself like when he was seven. Some of the other students had stood up and were walking around, talking to each other. Cedar decided to stay seated and so did the guy sitting beside him, who turned to speak to him.

"Howdy? Y'doin' alright there?" He inquired, a warm smile on his round face. He was a particularly large boy, and unlike Lariah, he was large in the other sense.

"Oh, uh, yeah, sorry." Cedar felt his ears wiggle slightly atop his head. "I just haven't flown in a while is all."

"I see." The young man nodded slightly, the leather stetson covering his head wavering slightly. "Must confess, i'm a first timer to flyin' too. Usually go by land." That off put Cedar a little bit. The guy hadn't even flown before and here he was all calm, collected, friendly. It put him to shame.

"Well uh, you sure handled it well." Cedar nodded, maintaining his composure. "Cedar Glade by the way, you?" When in doubt, always introduce, he thought.

"Isaac Carbon. Nice to meetcha." A large hand patted Cedar on the back and almost sent him stumbling out of his seat. "Here's hopin' for a smooth landin', huh?" He chuckled, though coming from him it sounded more like an odd rumbling noise.

"Mhm, definitely…" Cedar nodded quickly and got to his feet. "I'm just gonna go look around and stuff." He left the conversation on that and decided to go to the window. The sight quickly made up for any nausea he may have been initially feeling. The ship was flying gracefully over the land below, rivers rushing by in silver streaks of light, the ground a mere blur of imagined lines and anyone down there just a brief sight on their journey to the academy. Cedar couldn't help but press his hands against the glass to get a closer look at it all. Everything seemed far more beautiful from above.

He briefly wondered if that's what she thought when she first took this craft to the academy…

"Um, excuse me?" A quiet voice got his attention. It was only now that Cedar noticed a girl had been seated right next to where he was looking out, shrouded in a big hooded raincoat with slight streaks of oddly coloured hair poking out. She'd exuded such a small presence, Cedar hadn't noticed her at all, and given his height that was saying something. "Could you move, please? You're um… kinda weirding me out."

"Oh sure, sorry." Cedar backed up. Ouch, that one hit home… they hadn't even gotten to the academy yet and someone thought he was creepy. And she was cute too, damnit! I mean it was weird she was wearing a raincoat but… no, she was cute, voices like that only belonged to cute people. He frowned and ruffled a hand through his hair before slipping them into his pockets. Maybe he should go hang out with Lariah, at least she didn't think he was creepy.

Lariah seemed to be talking to some big guy with spiky blonde hair, big in the muscular sense, not in Isaac's sense. Cedar wanted to interrupt but their discussion seemed oddly intense and to be frank, the blonde guy's angry looking face scared him.

"So many interesting faces." A voice alerted Cedar to a girl standing behind him, having somehow snuck up on him. Said girl was garbed in a flowery yellow dress, her face showing the slightest smirk. "I wonder if we're already seeing the flowers of romance taking root?"

"Um… excuse me, what're you talking about?" He blinked in uncertainty, his fox ears flattening slightly atop his head. The flowery girl giggled at the sight.

"Pardon my thinking aloud. I simply wonder who will be pining after who in the coming days." The girl commented, a sly eye overseeing the soon to be students chatting with one another.

"Okay that's totally normal." Cedar nodded slightly, passing it off. "Um, my name's Cedar Glade?" Stick to the basics, he thought to himself.

"Yasmin Ginshi." She replied, suddenly opening a silk fan and covering her mouth with it, giving her eyes a considerably more alluring look. "I'm sure we'll get to know each other well, if we survive the entrance exam."

"...survive?" Cedar felt his stomach do a somersault.

"Well you know what hunting academies are like, I'm sure there's some big test of great danger awaiting us. They can't just go accepting everyone you know." She tapped her fan on his forehead. It might've irritated him if his mind wasn't now conjuring up terrible images and ideas of what the entrance exam might consist of.

"I hear that, over in Beacon?" a dark skinned girl with blonde hair leaned over. "They shoot the new students out of a cannon to see how they land and ditch the ones who go splat!"

"That's just stupid." A grey haired boy snorted, rolling his eyes. "They probably just make them fight to the death in some big arena. Or maybe they'll just let us walk right in, they probably take in all the dregs anyway." He chuckled snidely.

None of these thoughts were helping Cedar at all, who was just standing there and taking it in, his imagination conjuring scenarios of fighting nightmarishly strong kids to the death, or flying through the air at nine hundred miles per hour and splatting like a fly on a window. They wouldn't really do that to new students, right? They couldn't just expect that out of them on day one… right?

He'd find out pretty soon as he felt the ship starting to descend. The other kids piled back into their seats and Cedar followed suit as the vessel touched ground and came to a slow stop. Then the doors opened and everyone rushed to get out first. Cedar waited, he wasn't in much of a hurry anymore.

When Cedar finally did walk down the platform and onto solid ground again, his eyes were met with the splendour of the academy grounds stretching out before him. A white stone path split the land in two from the docking area, leading further into the grounds. On either side, patches of lush ruby grass grew, a unique specimen not found in many other regions outside of their kingdom's semi volcanic soil. Peeking up from the crimson grass, tall trees of white and black stood tall and proud, their leaves in a similar shade, bearing yellows and oranges of all kinds, mixing in a colourful tapestry of nature that fluttered slightly in the breeze.

Further up the grounds, winding white paths split off from the main path akin to the branches of a great tree, some leading to peaceful looking ponds pitted into the landscape, the area also dotted with large white stone lanterns, currently doused and dark in the sunny day. Further beyond that, the path became a large circular area with stone and wooden seats situated around the outside, all surrounding a grand fountain flowing with sparkling water, featuring four tall white statues of hunters in various poses.

And even beyond that, stood the main building of the academy itself. The entire thing was one vast complex surrounded by a square wall of sleek white and silver metal, black gaps between the great panels and huge turrets sitting at each corner, one right at the end of the path and two more splitting off on either side. The main building stood within, more strong metal and vast square constructs, a work of modern art in the form of a solid, fortified building, seeming almost alien amidst the crimson beauty of nature, yet also somehow so perfectly at home in it. And behind it all, the ocean and the sky met to provide a shining blue backdrop to it all.

Cedar barely even realised he was walking as he observed the campus, he was so lost in the beauty of it all. It truly felt like a great combination of everything the other kingdoms had to offer when this place was built, a collaborative effort to create something both beautiful but also steadfast and unbreakable. He was so entranced in the view, he walked straight into the back of a boy with copper hair.

"Oi!" He remarked, turning to look at him. "Watch where ya going, eh? Use yer eyes!"

"Sorry, sorry…" Cedar withdrew quickly. "I just… I got lost in the view."

"Well it is pretty bonzer, mate." The boy's attitude suddenly flipped as he beamed at him. "But hey, we can admire it when we move in, eh? Don't wanna get left behind on the first day!" and when Cedar actually looked around, he did realise they were lagging behind the other students. He quickened his pace to walk alongside the other boy, hoping meetings like this wouldn't become a habit.

Soon they passed through the great doors of the main building and into the main hall. The floor was covered by diagonal white tiles, leading up to the walls in similar shades. Hanging from the walls were great red and gold banners, flying the familiar grey symbol of the shield, their homeland's symbol. There were chairs set out for them to take a seat on, sitting before a large wooden stage. A podium stood at its centre and behind it, several other figures were seated, watching the students enter. Cedar presumed they must be the faculty.

He found himself sitting between the girl in the raincoat from earlier, who shied at his presence, and the copper haired boy who quickly rested one leg on his knee and kicked back in his seat. Once everyone was seated, one of the adults stood up and took the stage. She was a curly strawberry blonde haired woman in a white blouse, matched with a floral brown dress with a wide skirt, an ornately decorated scabbard also hanging at her side. She stood at the podium and cleared her throat.

"Welcome, everybody, to Lustre Academy!" she announced, her voice full of energy. "I'd like to thank you all for attending our little welcoming assembly. Now, before we go any further with today, your new headmaster has some words of wisdom for you. Please welcome, Mr Billeous Birchwood." She then stepped down as another of the adults took her place.

The man in question was an old looking gentleman with a stern, crinkled face. He had receding white hair, still sticking out around the sides of his heat and a white goatee beard on his chin. It was also worth noting he had a pair of grey ram horns curled at either side of his head. He was dressed rather plainly in grey robes covered by a darker green kind, his sleeves long and the robe reaching his feet, covered by old wooden sandals. In his left hand he held a T-top wooden cane, looking every bit as ancient as he was.

"Thank you, Miss Lariet." He said, glancing back at the blonde teacher before overlooking those seated in front of him. As Cedar watched him, he got this strange intense feeling emanating from him, locking him into place in his seat. It wasn't just him, either. The copper haired boy was no longer lounging and the shy girl beside him was leaning forward a little.

"Now, before we proceed with today's events, I'd like to dispel some _rumours_ that you may have heard." He said, spitting out the word 'rumours' sourly. "Since Lustre Academy is, presently, the youngest of the academies across Remnant, some may think that we offer an easy pass to those that attend, that we will take even the worst possible students just to fill up our places." He lifted his cane up and pointed behind them. "Any of you who believe this to be true, I ask you leave immediately. Because I am dispelling those rumours, right now." He moved his cane back and suddenly struck the stage with it, the resounding clack of wood on wood making some of the others jump in surprise.

"Lustre Academy is not of a lower standard than the other academies. We drill our students especially hard, to make them the best they can possibly be for the world outside of these walls. We take the unrefined talent of young hunters and we school them in everything a hunter needs."

His cane hit the stage again with a resounding CLACK!

"Discipline."

CLACK!

"Decisiveness."

CLACK!

"Durability."

CLACK!

"And dexterity." He paused a moment, resting his cane back into a comfortable position at his side. "We ask only two things of our students. Firstly, that to have respect, you must show respect. You will be treated as responsible adults within these walls, as long as you in turn respect your faculty and your fellow students. And secondly, we ask you display the best of your abilities. That is the only way this academy will forge you into the kind of person who protects the innocent, stands up for those in need and earns the right to be called a hunter. If you can adhere to those two practices, Lustre Academy will make you a goodly hearth and home and we shall show you equal resolve in forging your destinies. That is all." The headmaster stepped down from the podium, leaving the hall in silence.

Cedar was rooted to his seat. The headmaster's words had quelled his buzzing doubts about this place. The rumours were indeed something he'd heard around town… but this headmaster sure didn't fit the bill of the meek old man he'd heard of. His words inspired him, lighting a flame in his core that almost made him eager to prove he was worth being here, especially considering the headmaster was a Faunus himself. Everything was coming back now… this was why he wanted to be a huntsman. To prove he could stand up and prove he had the qualities of a huntsman, that he wasn't a coward who'd turn tail and run… he wasn't a coward… he wasn't.

"Now then." Miss Lariet, the blonde teacher took the stand again. "We'll now be proceeding with the entrance exam. Everyone, please follow the left path around to the side of the school grounds where we will begin the test. Please leave your bags beside your seats and bring your weapons with you." She directed them back to the doors as she walked down off the stage and led them outside.

The other kids got up and headed outside after her after rummaging around and pulling our various mechanical contraptions, chatting amongst themselves. Cedar followed suit, taking out his weapon too and holding it steady. He also took out the hip quiver he'd need and slipped that onto his belt before he rushed out after the others. Cedar noticed in particular the grey haired boy from before was looking a touch worried, hanging beside the hulking blonde kid as the group walked along the path.

"That speech was awesome!" Gushed the muscular girl from before… Lariah, wasn't it?

"Sure was!" The copper haired boy agreed, looking equally excited. "I'm pumped! I feel like I could cave in a Beowolf's face right now!"

"Tone it down, pardner." Isaac chuckled, walking beside them. "There'll be plenty o'time for that soon, I reckon."

"It's Ozzy, not pardner." The copper haired boy replied quickly.

Cedar hung behind everyone else, near the shy girl from before and an equally quiet boy with black and white hair and similar looking ears. He wasn't quite sure what species of animal ears they were. Together, they followed the pack along the path, leading around to the left side of the academy, well, left if you were coming out of its great gates.

After a little walking, the pack split up as they seemed to reach something set into the ground. When Cedar got close to it, he felt his stomach do another somersault at the sight of it. What he was looked into seemed to be a great pit descending into the ground, strange grey vapour lingering around its top, akin to clouds on a stormy day. Large circular platforms, mechanical in nature, jutted out around the lip, many in number and only just wide enough for a person to be able to fit upon them. Cedar twitched in uncertainty as renewed fear and uncertainty welled up within him. The others began to take a step onto the podiums and stand upon them. Cedar followed suit, stepping onto a circular platform and immediately being hit by a sense of vertigo, gazing down into the swirling abyss beyond the lip of the cliff.

"This." Miss Lariet addressed them, standing on the lip with a device in hand. "Is your entrance exam."


	2. V1C2: Running The Gauntlet

**Volume 1**

Chapter 2: Running The Gauntlet

"Below you lies the Gauntlet." Miss Lariet began to explain, holding a scroll in one hand and gesturing to the great abscess in the ground with the other. "You will be taking your exam within it. Below the upper cloud you see, there is a simulated environment consisting of various terrain found across Remnant. Those of you who are familiar with the Amity Colosseum used for the Vytal Festival, the Gauntlet uses a similar system to generate its terrain."

Cedar did know about the arena used for the Vytal Festival, how its central arena could be used to simulate four randomly selected types of environments at once. And that kind of machinery was awaiting them within the pit below? So there could be anything down there!

"Your goal in this exam is very simple." Miss Lariet continued, striding up and down along the edge of the cliff as she spoke. "There is an exit to the Gauntlet at its far end, just follow the star in the sky to reach it. To reach the exit, you will have to traverse many kinds of terrain and natural hazards. You will also come across Grimm who regularly spawn inside the Gauntlet, and you will have to fight your way through them a well."

What kind of school allows Grimm to spawn on its premises?! Cedar shouted in his head.

"You'll all be scored based on how quickly you complete the Gauntlet and your actions within it. It's every student for themselves in there, so think only of the end." Miss Lariet continued. These words, Cedar noticed, sent off an odd reaction down the line of the others. Some of them looked relieved at the mention of no teamwork, whilst others looked notably concerned. Cedar also felt concerned… they wouldn't seriously start turning on one another, right?

"Oh and, there's one last thing you should know about." Miss Lariet suddenly smiled slyly. "The last four students to finish will be expelled. Best of luck!" And before anyone could argue or question such a rule, she tapped the scroll and at once, the platforms the students stood on gave way, dropping them down into the Gauntlet below. All at once they vanished under the grey clouds and into the pit below, to battle for their places in Lustre Academy.

When Cedar finally managed to stop himself yelling in fear at how he was falling and open his eyes, he saw the landscape below. Beneath the veil of grey clouds, an entire simulated sky now rose over them and in the distance, a shining star just like Miss Lariet had mentioned. And below them stretched the terrain of the Gauntlet. Cedar could see below that a huge snowbank was rushing up to meet them, at least promising a safe landing. But then his attention drifted to the other students, some of whom didn't seem to want to wait to just land.

A loud bang to his left drew his attention to Isaac, wielding some kind of huge shotgun and having positioned himself so he fired behind him, actually using the momentum to propel himself forwards. And it wasn't just him. The cute girl in the raincoat pulled out what looked like an umbrella and opened it, her falling halted as she daintily floated on ahead of them. And the dark skinned blonde was the most impressive of all, a great pair of golden wings appearing on her back as she soared on ahead, easily taking the lead.

Unfortunately, Cedar had no such advantage to moving quickly, he'd be left to just plummet into the snow with the others. The most he could do was move his goggles over his eyes before he hit the snow, the cold mattress cushioning his fall, knocking the wind out of him as he sank into it. His fox ears could catch the sound of the others landing in similar fashion, various soft thuds and thumps around him. It took him a moment to catch his breath before he got up out of the snow, shakily getting to his feet as a chill ran over his body. That snow felt real alright… that meant environments they'd be going through would be just as real.

He started wading through the snow with the other examinees who hadn't had any strategy besides falling, all pushing through the snowdrifts to the paths beyond. Up ahead, Cedar could see the terrain splitting off into three distinct paths, going left, right and straight on. On the right path, he could see craggy formations and towering pillars of stone, a clifflike area with unknown perils in its fissures and crevices. Down the middle, a thick and dense woodland, the trees packed close together and limiting ground movement. And finally on the left was a wide open savannah area with some wild grass and mostly open field.

Cedar had to choose quickly, which path would be the quickest? The open savannah seemed the obvious choice, no obstacles and few concerns about a straight shot forward. The canyon seemed very dangerous, so much unstable footing and narrow pathways, that'd be signing a death warrant for sure… but the forest. Cedar knew his strengths were his speed and climbing abilities, something a forest was perfect for. So he pushed forward til he was out of the snow and headed for the woods. Unsurprisingly, to him at least, a lot of the other students rushed for the savannah path and a few others for the canyon, the minority choosing the forest with him.

Despite the light he had seen in the snowy area, the forest was far darker, the thick canopy obscuring the light and creating the illusion of nighttime around them. But it wasn't an issue to a Faunus like Cedar, someone who had better night vision than a human. He grabbed a low hanging branch and climbed onto it, using it to spring himself up into the treetops and begin moving through the canopy, leaping from tree to tree and running along the thickest branches. Just like back in town, it was all a matter of seeing where he needed to go and jumping for it without hesitation. His parkour skills were no doubt setting him ahead of his peers scurrying below him, filling him with a slight confidence. Maybe he'd be the first amongst them to pass the finish line!

But something felt off. The adrenaline of jumping between the trees had masked it, but now that he was above them, he felt it. The atmosphere in the forest was tense and quiet, only the sounds of the footfalls of his fellow students and him leaping from tree to tree resounded around him. There were no Grimm here either, most likely due to the thick density of the trees, there was nothing dangerous here… except maybe... his competitors?

Before he could even consider the danger, a loud bang erupted from below him and a spray of bullets sheared off the next branch he was jumping to. Terror spread through his body as he quickly found himself falling back down to the ground. He hit the ground hard on his front, feeling his aura drain to prevent anything breaking, though it was still painful. As he tried to get up, he grunted as a foot trod on his back and another student ran on ahead of him, bearing grey hair and smiling spitefully back at him.

He was enraged for a short time before he heard more gunshots around him. That boy who shot the branch must have worried the others, because all hell had broken loose, students started fighting and shooting one another and ducking behind trees. And Cedar knew if he stuck around, he'd fall behind or take stray fire. He had to ignore the fighting and keep moving!

Counting on his speed, Cedar sprinted through the trees, darting left and right to avoid the mighty wooden columns. Around him the sounds of battle raged, blades clanging, gunshots blasting chunks of wood away, this exam was turning into a warzone and he was stuck in the middle of it! He ducked and weaved, feeling bullets whizz past his ears and wincing at the sensation, seeing other students rush past him or be struck down by another, it shook him to his very soul at the utter stayed determined and focused til he saw the edge of the woods and burst out, back into the light beyond.

...and what he saw made him immediately want to retreat back into that hellish thicket he'd just escaped from.

* * *

Yasmin was finally clear of the savannah, a little worse for wear. What had initially looked like easy open terrain had become a death trap, with huge swarms of Grimm running to face them. She'd opted that flight was the better option and had allowed some of the others to take the brunt, having daintily dodged her way through them and now was onto the second stage of the Gauntlet, feeling a brief pang of guilt for that raincoat clad girl who'd been running ahead of them.

Spanning out in front of her was a series of wetlands, grassy tussocks raised amidst great flowing streams of water, some as thin as a ribbon, others as wide as a street. On closer inspection, Yasmin spotted moving black shapes hiding in the water and behind the grass. This section was Grimm infested, not as much as the savannah, but enough to keep her on her toes.

A sharp crunch behind her drew her attention. She saw that the large pack of Grimm was finally thinning and some of the others were catching up to her, taking particular note of a black haired boy wielding golden maces and a strange pastel haired girl holding a large garish looking lance. She was losing her lead.

Turning on her heel, Yasmin dashed forward into the waterlogged glades beyond. She bounded over a small stream with no issue, raced over a grassy tussock and dashed for a larger river with a rock jutting out of its middle. Before she could reach, a Beowolf leapt out to surprise her, striking at her chest with its claw. But she was quicker, opening one of a pair of large fans, blocking the claw and flicking it off to one side. Then with her other fan, she brought it round in a crescent motion, slicing the beast's head clean off, its body disappearing into darkness.

A bounding hop over the stream brought her closer to her goal before she was attacked by two more Beowolves, coming at her from either side. Her fans flicked open to block them before she leapt back onto the stepping stone to gain distance and collapsed her fans, the pair becoming elongated pistols. She opened fire on the Beowolves, the shots riddling them as they tried to approach, splashing into the water before they couldn't take it anymore and vanished into the rapids.

She smiled as she hopped back onto land, opening her fans up again and continuing onward, running through the slick grass.

"Hm, still a few more up ahead… perhaps I should stay back, allow my peers to take some weight off." Yasmin thought aloud as she moved. "Though can I afford to take such a risk, they said our individual times would be graded… hm. I wonder if they'll be watching this and taking note of my-"

"COMING THROOOOUGH!" Her thoughts were cast aside as she instinctively leapt to the bank, the soaring form of a student holding onto a spiral lance soared past her, her body a blur of pink, yellow and blue. Her weapon seemed to have small boosters attached to it, rocketing her forward like that.

Yasmin frowned, she'd gotten too wrapped up in thinking and now one of her opponents was getting ahead of her. She collapsed her fans and followed the girl, hearing the footsteps of the rest of her peers.

The girl up ahead flew right into a Beowolf and her lance went straight through it. Then another. And then another, making a triple Grimm shishkabob before she finally crashed into a stream. Yasmin was behind by a decent ways now, dashing and bouncing over rivers to try and catch up with her. She was so preoccupied with catching up to the pastel haired girl, she failed to spot something lurking in the next large river. And when she leapt, the great black tail of a Taijitu rose up and struck her in mid air, sending her sprawling, getting her clothes wet on the damp grass.

She winced as she got back up. She'd allowed herself to be distracted, how foolish… she could practically feel her brother's scorn at her mistake. The serpent rose out of the river and its mighty head stared her down. Yasmin picked herself up and opened her fans with redoubled vigor… perhaps this exam was more trouble than she'd expected.

* * *

Cedar found himself staring into a large group of Grimm, all running towards him and the scattered group filing out of the bushes. There were Beowolves leading the charge across the cracked earth with Ursas lumbering behind them, at least numbering three in total. That was three more than Cedar had ever seen in his life.

He could feel the fear in the others emerging from the woods, their quarrels forgotten in the wake of humanity's enemy, bearing down on them. One way or another, they'd have to go through them to proceed, the star shining behind them. Cedar had to conquer his fears if they were ever going to get through this exam.

He moved quickly, bringing out his auto crossbow he'd been stowing and taking out three bolts from his hip quiver. The hatch atop clicked open and Cedar slid the bolts in. Then he aimed and fired, shooting them at three spots in front of the pack. The bolts struck the broken earth and exploded into slick ice, freezing one Beowolf over and causing the others to slip and slow the group down. That'd give the others more time to plan their own strategies.

"Fightin' time, fellas! Last one in's a rotten egg!" Cedar was caught by surprise as Ozzy from before bounded right over him and went rushing into the Grimm crowd. He barely even had time to spot those boxing gloves he was wearing before he made contact with the group. There was a resounding thwack as one of the Beowolfs was sent flying off to the left from a single punch! Then another, a strong kick knocked it away to the right! That boy's strength was incredible!

A surge of confidence welled up inside him and Cedar rushed in to back the boy up. He loaded up a regular bolt and fired it into a Beowolf looming over him, catching it enough for Ozzy to jump out of the way of its swinging claw and deliver a solid roundhouse kick to its face. Cedar had to admit, the boy's athleticism was pretty amazing for his age.

He was snapped out of his admiration when he realised a Beowolf had taken issue with him and was headed his way. No time to reload and fire, he had to go into melee mode. He twisted the back handle of his crossbow and pushed it forward, the device slipping onto his arm. From the middle, a long sword blade sprung out, the Faunus hunkering a little lower as the Beowolf lunged at him. Cedar quickly ducked under its swing to the left and brought his sword around in a stab, striking into the Beowolf's belly.

The Grimm yowled in pain and quickly swatted at Cedar with its right paw, the young Faunus rolling swiftly underneath the Beowolf and nicking its other side whilst standing up. This time the beast lunged at him with its jaws and he couldn't find an opening to dodge, so he caught its jaws on his sword and held his guard. But the beast was stronger, biting the metal and forcing him backward. Then, one ill placed step and Cedar fell backward. He froze up in fear as the Beowolf rose over him.

Before Cedar could think of what to do, an object flew seemingly around the Beowolf's head and somehow it dropped right off, the entire beast fading into darkness. Standing nearby was a boy in a purple tailcoat, glasses covering his eyes and a casual smile on his face. In his right hand, Cedar spied an odd looking yo-yo.

"Come come, don't sit around! There's still more to deal with!" he said cheerily.

* * *

Biting her lip slightly, Lariah put all her speed into one mad dash across the geyser field. She'd already seen that jagged haired blonde boy blown back and other students going up in water torrents, she didn't want to join them. The exit star was so close now, the risk was worth it! Her boots dug in as she crossed the end of the geyser field, yelping slightly as another spout went off to her left and spattered her with water. But at last, she made it, she was out of the field and into the thick reeds of the next area.

"Mighty fine runnin' pardner." Isaac was waiting for her with his warm smile. The two had forged something of an alliance in the canyon area when the blonde haired boy tried to block the path with a boulder, watching each other's backs. When Isaac had been attacked by Boarbatusks, Lariah had backed him up. And when she was scared in the geyser fields, he had forged ahead to provide support. Now here they were, progressing through the vast cornfield with the exit star so very close now.

That was when the Nevermores showed up. Three of them in total, black swathing feathers blotting out the light from above. The two shared a look, knowing they'd have to fight through them.

"I'll break em up, y'all can hit em when they get close." Isaac instructed her, the copper haired girl nodding quickly. The cowboy drew his weapon, a large four barrel shotgun, and aimed it upward at the incoming Nevermores. He fired one shell and it exploded with fire dust, becoming a great series of sparks and fireworks in the sky, disorienting the avian adversaries. One of them swooped low, talons wide and grasping for them.

Once it was close enough, Lariah swung her weapon at it, a mighty flail with the head of a sea mine, slamming into its head. When it struck, the ball on the chain seemed to explode on contact, sending the entire beast flying to the left and spiralling into fading blackness.

"YES!" Lariah shouted in jubilation, a broad grin on her face.

"Behind ya!" Isaac warned her as Lariah quickly hit the deck, barely missing the talons of one of the two remaining Nevermores. Isaac fired up at the passing bird whilst Lariah got back up, the corn around her uprooted and torn. When they prepared for another aerial attack, her ears caught something rustling, rushing through the cornfield ahead of them.

"Isaac! We got more incoming!" Lariah shouted, spinning up her flail overhead.

"I hear em." Isaac agreed, turning his weapon toward the oncoming horde of Creeps. He fired his two remaining shells, cutting down a few in the buckshot whilst Lariah swung her flail and clobbered a bunch that got too close. Then the Nevermores circled around, coming back for another attack, swooping at them.

Both were met by golden cannonballs striking it in the face and knocking it away, accompanied by a great bellow of a brass instrument. The dark skinned blonde was right behind them, blowing into a trombone weapon, great cannonballs of golden energy shooting out at the flying beasts.

"Thanks!" Lariah gave her a thumbs up as the trio continued to move and fight through the cornfield, getting closer and closer to the end.

* * *

"Thanks for helping out back there." Cedar said to the glasses wearing boy, whom had introduced himself as Martin.

"No problem!" He replied, cheerily. "Just doing what any self respecting huntsman should do!" Even though the teacher before said it was every man for himself, Cedar thought.

"Do you seriously use that yo-yo as a weapon?" Cedar asked as the pair of them were leading their group into the final area, a land of brimstone and torrents of magma, the smell of ash and smoke hanging in the air.

"Why yes! You see it all began when I was a young lad, my father bought me a yo-yo for my birthday, and-"

"Okay nevermind, tell me later." Cedar cut him off, realising there were Grimm up ahead, lesser than the wasteland area, but still numerous. "We've got incoming."

"Roger that." Martin nodded. Cedar slipped his weapon off his arm and switched it back into crossbow form, loading it up with five bolts. As they ran over the ashen earth, he fired them at the oncoming Beowolves, landing two headshots and managing to stop a third moving with two hits to the front legs. His last bolt missed.

"I think we can make it… just past those lava pools up ahead." Cedar pointed them out as the two drew closer, the star shining brighter and brighter in the sky. They skirted around the burning pools, the acrid smell of brimstone hitting him as they dodged around it. Another small pit and a Creeps surprised them, leaping out to attack. Martin caught it, flicking his yo-yo at it and smacking it in the face, knocking it backward into the lava where it sank and vanished.

"I can see the exit!" Cedar cried out,the shining star visible over a doorway at the end of the brimstone land. They were close now, nothing was left standing in their way. But as they reached the door, Cedar heard a cry of distress behind him and turned on the spot. Not too far back, he saw another kid struggling with a King Taijitu, holding back its snakelike jaws with blades mounted on his arms. He also spied some of the other students behind him, running for the exit, including the grey haired kid.

Cedar faced a choice. Leave the Gauntlet for a better time… or help the kid behind him. That threat of the last four being expelled blared in his head like a warning siren. He looked back and forth, frantic and uncertain. Martin was already gone, he wasn't even sure who else had finished yet, how could he know?!

In the end, he ran past those headed for the exit and went to help the black haired student. He loaded up his crossbow and fired a few lightning bolts at the King Taijitu, the voltage stunning it long enough for the other kid to break free. Then Cedar watched as his forearm blades opened into three, turning the weapon into a pair of claws and the boy unloaded on the snake, slashing it with deep cuts and scars til it finally cut through and severed its head. The boy dropped and panted slightly, turning to Cedar with a worried look.

"T-thank you…" he mumbled, his demeanour surprisingly meek considering what he'd just done.

"It's alright." Cedar nodded. "Cmon, we've got a test to finish." he pointed to the exit and the boy caught on. As they ran, Cedar noticed a pair of animal ears in the boy's hair, black and white badger ears. He smiled, that making him feel a little better about saving him.

"I-I'm Brock, by the way." the badger Faunus said. "Brock Rathbone."

"Cedar Glade." the fox Faunus responded. "We can talk proper once we're through, okay?"

"Sure, r-right…" Brock was quiet as both boys scurried for the exit, lagging behind the bulk of the other candidates now across the hot testing area. With Cedar clinging to the hope he hadn't just screwed himself out of victory, he dashed into the doorway with the star shining above.

The exam was over.


	3. V1C3: Alliances Forged

**Volume 1**

Chapter 3: Alliances Forged

Cedar was bent double, puffing and panting from running for the exit, the adrenaline starting to wear off. The Gauntlet had tested him thoroughly, but he'd finally made it out. Beyond the door marked by the shining star, he found a simple looking waiting room, seats at the walls, a water cooler with cups nearby and a stairway leading up and, presumably, out. Some of the others who had finished the exam were sitting there too, catching their breath and taking a moment to recuperate. He spotted Yasmin sitting up straight and looking mildly annoyed, her pretty dress smeared with mud and damp in places. Isaac was there too, drinking deeply from a cup of water. Lariah was also there, wiping her brow, her strong arms glistening slightly with beads of sweat. At a guess, Cedar assumed they'd only just arrived, same as he did.

There were others who looked far less haggard. He spied Martin leaning on the wall, playing with his yo-yo, apparently having not noticed Cedar didn't follow him through the exit. There was a tall guy with a mask over his eyes, Cedar didn't even remember seeing him earlier. The dark skinned blonde in the sharp suit was there too, seated with one leg crossed over her lap. No sign of the grey haired kid, maybe he'd already gone back up…

"Cedar!" Lariah approached him suddenly. "You made it!"

"Just about." Cedar smiled back at her. It was hard to feel down around her, even when he felt a little down about being the last one out. "It was a bit touch and go back there."

"You too huh? We had it hard. That geyser field was scary…" Lariah frowned thinking back to it.

"Well we wouldn'ta made it s'far without yer mace flingin'." Isaac complemented, looking over at the two.

"Oh cmon, you're the one who blew away those big dumb birds!" Lariah returned, going back over to talk to the large boy, leaving Cedar for the time being.

"E-excuse me?" Brock caught Cedar's attention, the Faunus standing behind him after they'd escaped the Gauntlet. "Thank you, for helping me back there."

"It's fine, really." Cedar smiled wryly. "I just hope we don't get expelled for it…"

"I wouldn't worry too much about that." Yasmin spoke up with the slightest of smiles, glancing over at the Faunus pair. "I expect that mention of expulsion wasn't true."

"Wait, what? What makes you think that?" Cedar looked at her, a mixture of disbelief and suspicion on his face.

"Unless students were failing quite terribly in the Gauntlet, why immediately expel them? It makes far more sense to keep them and train them at least a little. Besides…" she smirked. "My brother told me they said something similar to him during his entrance exam at Haven Academy."

"So I stressed out over nothing… cool." Cedar swept a hand over his forehead and removed his goggles, slightly relieved and slightly annoyed he'd been fooled.

"Come, no sense waiting around here. Let's head out." Yasmin beckoned them toward the stairs, Lariah and Isaac getting up from their seats to follow her. Cedar's ears perked up slightly and he bounded after them, up into the light, happy to leave the Gauntlet behind him.

At the top of the stairs, they emerged back onto the school grounds amidst the soft red grass, a winding white path leading around toward the school building, the other students who had left the Gauntlet were already filing back ahead of him. Cedar trailed behind the others, regaining his spirit and his strength and putting away his weapon. He'd used a couple of bolts in the exam, good thing he'd brought plenty of spares with him.

They sat back down in the academy's hall and awaited the other exam attendees. It took another few minutes for everyone to return, Miss Lariet and Headmaster Birchwood arriving last, stepping back onstage.

"Well, first of all," Miss Lariet began "we'd like to congratulate all of you on passing the entrance exam. Next, i'd like to apologise for the little fib regarding expulsion if you finished last." Yasmin smirked at Cedar and the Faunus once again felt foolish. "That lie was told to bring out the best in all of you for the sake of this exam, but we will not be using such methods in future, rest assured." She smiled somewhat sheepishly, like she was embarrassed at her own underhanded method. "Now then, the headmaster and I have checked the footage of all of you during the exam. Based on your performances and your completion times, we've sorted you into teams of four. When your name is called, please come onstage."

Cedar edged forward slightly on his seat, both worried about who he'd get paired with and eager to see the other forming teams. The first ones called up were some he recognised.

"Silas Sleet, Terance Thunderhead, Remus Fogg, April Showers." The headmaster called them up. There was they grey haired kid who'd shot at him during the exam, the jagged haired blonde he'd seen talking to Lariah, some other kid with a bandana on his head and the cute girl in the raincoat. "I hereby name you as, team Star." The headmaster addressed the four once they'd lined up onstage. "And you shall be led by, Silas Sleet." Then the four sat down, the grey haired kid looking particularly proud of himself in a way that irked Cedar. That kid had shot at him, how was he fit to lead his team? He felt a little bad for the girl in the raincoat...

"Violetta Georgia, Stizza Hamelin, Pazice Gjaller, Raijin Kuro." Next up was some violet haired girl he didn't recognised, the masked fellow who finished ahead of him, the dark skinned blonde and some black haired kid with a white band round his head. "I hereby name you as, team Vesper. And you shall be led by, Violetta Georgia." The violet haired girl looked very happy about that and the masked one just nodded slightly, his face showing scant emotion. Cedar was curious about the masked kid, had he somehow finished in their group without him even noticing? How skilled was he? The headmaster began reading more names.

"Martin Thistle, Oswald Wa-"

"That's Ozzy, mate!" The copper haired kid interrupted him, earning a steely glare from Birchwood that made even that spunky spirit settle down a little.

" _Ozzy_ Wattle." Birchwood repeated. "Brock Rathbone. Candi Cotton." Cedar watched as the familiar glasses wearing eccentric headed onstage, followed by the hot blooded bruiser, a pastel haired girl in bright clothing and the familiar Faunus he'd saved before, now wearing his jacket around his waist. "You four shall now be, team Torch. And you shall be led by, Martin Thistle." They all seemed happy about that. And Cedar was too, he trusted Martin's skill and he liked Brock. Ozzy he admired, to say the least. After that, more teams were announced and Cedar drew closer and closer to the edge of his seat when time after time, his name wasn't called, his anticipation and his concern growing and growing. Then, just when all seemed lost…

"And finally, Isaac Carbon, Cedar Glade, Yasmin Ginshi and Lariah Marine." Cedar's name finally came up and as he bounded onstage and stood beside the others. He was brimming with excitement, standing facing Headmaster Birchwood. "Together, your four will become, team Icicle. And you shall be led by… Isaac Carbon."

Well, Cedar wouldn't lie to himself and say he wasn't disappointed. He would've liked to lead the team… but he liked his other team members, so he was alright with this. He'd have to put his trust in the portly cowboy… he seemed like a decent guy. But time would tell.

With that, they returned to their seats and all present students had been sorted into teams. Miss Lariet returned to the podium.

"Now, before we end today's ceremony, there's a few things we need to go over. First, now you're all sorted into teams, you will be sharing rooms together. Please collect your keys before you go upstairs. And finally, dinner is being served in the cantina. We've a special menu to celebrate your acceptance and all food is complimentary. Also, school schedules will be available on the school's network so make sure you download it before classes tomorrow! And that's everything, so please, enjoy the rest of today. You have all earned it, students of Lustre Academy."

And with that, the newly inaugurated students of Lustre Academy began to file out. Cedar, brimming with happiness, picked up his key and went to the cantina with the others. It was a larger room on the western side of the academy grounds, a long room with diamond shaped tables, two seats at each face. The floor was slick and tiled and the serving area had large television screens displaying the menu for the day. Cuisine from all over Remnant, Cedar's belly started growling just from the prospect! He hadn't even realised how hungry he was… the exam took more out of him than he'd expected.

Deciding he'd sample a beef bowl commonly found in Mistral, Cedar carried his meal on a tray back with him and eventually found a table where his new teammates were seated. He noted Isaac was eagerly digging into a large juicy steak with several other forms of meat crowding his plate, including bacon, sausages and pork ribs. Lariah had a plate of grilled salmon with a leafy salad surrounding it. Yasmin had also chosen Mistrallian food, stir fry noodles. He sat down without question at the diamond shaped table, sitting beside Lariah. It felt a little surreal, knowing these three were now his teammates and they were already having a meal together despite only knowing each other for less than aday. It put him in mind to life at home, the automatic knowledge of sitting to table when his Dad had cooked dinner.

"So um…" Cedar broke the silence, regretting it slightly as the three turned to look at him. "Guess… we're teammates now, huh?" He mentally kicked himself for sounding so inane.

"That we are." Yasmin smiled in agreement. "And from here on out, we need to act like one."

"I agree." Isaac spoke up. "How bout we do a lil' meet n' greet in terms of what we can do once we mosey on up to our room?"

"Erm, pardon?" Cedar blinked, unsure of what Isaac was saying.

"I think he means, we should show each other our weapons and explain our semblances." Lariah added, a lump of fish on her fork.

"S'bout right." Isaac mumbled through a mouthful of beef.

"Yes, I agree. We can gauge one another's skills and abilities and start working on team synergy." Yasmin agreed with a slight nod. "There's a lot of other teams to compete against after all." a slight competitive flare gleamed in her eyes. Cedar would just be happy having a room at all that night, let alone strategy talk.

Once they'd finished their meals, Lariah led the way through the academy, claiming she'd already memorised the map on her scroll. And she was still claiming that once she led them to the training gym and the back gardens, twice. But eventually, they found their way to the student lodgings and found their room. He was pleasantly surprised when he found their team name, ICYL, had already been added to their door via a metal name plate.

The room's interior was quite nice. The walls were a little bare, painted light blue on the left and right walls and white on the front and back. The floor was covered by a rich dark blue carpet, four metal frame beds sitting at each corner of the room. A large window sat across from the door with metal fittings. There was another door off to the right leading to an en suite bathroom. The lights were indented into the plastered ceiling and there were some basic furnishings, a wardrobe, some bookshelves, bedside tables and a desk and chair on the left side. Cedar had to admit it, it sure beat his old cramped room back home!

"Man, this is way bigger than my old room!" Lariah vocalised what Cedar was saying.

"Pretty cosy…" Isaac nodded, arms folded.

"Definitely needs a little work. But that can wait until tomorrow." Yasmin sighed, dragging her suitcase in and claiming a bed for herself without asking for it. Cedar made sure to get one too as he began to unpack his bag. There were neat little storage drawers under the bed that Cedar filled up with socks and shorts before hanging up his shirts and jackets in the wardrobe, once Yasmin was done filling it up with flowery looking dresses and Lariah had hung up a single tank top. Once they were done, they sat down on their beds with their weapons and agreed to go one by one to explain their semblance and show off their weapons.

"Well, since i'm the leader, guess i'll go first." No-one fought Isaac on that front. He hefted up his weapon, the huge four barrel shotgun, black iron barrels and a soft wooden handle. "This here's Outlaw Sunday. She fires bout four shells, got plenty of dust types."

"You fire all four barrels at once…?" Cedar leaned forward slightly. "Wouldn't the kickback hurt a lot?"

"It does." Isaac chuckled. "But it only fires s'many dependin' on how hard I squeeze the trigger here. S'all controlled." he continued. He then pulled down on the pump of the shotgun, all four barrels widening to make an X shape. He then pulled further back and a long metal pole extended from the middle of the four barrels, the end of the barrels covered by iron clasps. "And with this here staff, she becomes a pretty nice pick mace." Cedar couldn't help but think it looked a little unwieldy, but for someone with Isaac's stature, he supposed he was able to handle it.

"So, what about your semblance?" Yasmin asked.

"Ah, s'little hard to explain." Isaac chuckled. Suddenly he glowed slightly black with what seemed like smoke rising off of him. His hands were a blur as within seconds, his weapon was in its prior form and in his hands. "M'semblance slows down everythin' fer me and gives me a chance to do somethin'. Motion's cancelled outside'a it though, so I can't go movin' my legs or windin' up some big attack or some such."

"That's quite useful indeed." Yasmin nodded, seemingly impressed. "You can plan ahead and reload that weapon of yours before the enemy can even react."

"What can I say? Sometimes you gotta be fast to take it slow." he chuckled deeply and Cedar groaned at how awful that joke was.

"Okay, I call dibs next!" Lariah interrupted, hefting a huge chain and what looked like an attached sea mine onto the bed. Cedar had to resist the urge not to duck and cover in fear of it exploding. "This is my baby, Daedalus Detonator. She hits hard and she leaves a dent! But if I wanna leave a crater instead, well." she pried open a part of the sea mine, revealing an internal mechanism, small shooting devices and what looked like dust power inside. "If a trigger on the ball is pressed, it'll shoot out explosive dust around it! And if I hit something with that, it'll go boom!" she grinned broadly at her little explosive secret.

"You just keep an explosive with you like that?!" Cedar was really on edge seeing her casually open it and show it off.

"Oh relax, the chain has a trigger that de-activates it. I can make it explode whenever I want." she giggled teasingly and pointed to it on the chain. The Faunus breathed a sigh of relief. "Now as for my semblance…" she began glowing a bright blue aura, moving in waves akin to water. Suddenly the room seemed to shift and Cedar found himself hunkering down slightly, as if a huge weight had been slipped onto his shoulders, akin to standing on the ocean bed!. Yasmin and Isaac too were affected, finding it hard to sit up straight, whilst Lariah sat there, arms folded, almost entirely unphased. Then she stopped glowing and everything returned to normal, Cedar feeling the weight lift off of him. "You get it? I manipulate gravity! I get affected too, but i've trained to be resistant to it!" Cedar couldn't help but gasp a little with the weight gone. A semblance like that with a weapon THAT destructive?! Lariah was definitely the powerhouse of their team.

"No wonder them Grimm could barely shift ya." Isaac chuckled, patting the muscular girl on the back.

"Yep, you can't shift me for all the might of the ocean!" Lariah boasted, the widest smile on her face.

"Moving on." Yasmin steered the conversation back to herself. She picked up the two closed fans at her side and opened them, revealing their decorated patterns of curled lines and leaping rabbits, the fan edge lined with sharp looking blades. "Zhan and Zheng. Fan-blades by nature. And pistols." she flicked them shut and the handles flicked out from below them, barrels clicking out of the fan's collapsed sections. Cedar noted they were quite ornate and mechanically intricate… not something a normal student would build themselves. He wondered if she'd had help.

"My semblance is a simple one." Her body glowed with a yellow aura rising like heat. And in an instant, two identical copies of her were seated at either side of her bed. "I triplicate myself." All three versions of her spoke in unison. "We move in time and we all take damage. I implement it with grace and style." Then her two copies shifted back into her and she was one person again.

"Wow, that's pretty cool!" Lariah nodded enthusiastically. "You could ambush enemies all by yourself!"

"Mighty handy." Isaac agreed.

"Yes it definitely has its uses." Yasmin agreed, a little prideful. And then all three turned to look at Cedar. He felt a great pressure settle onto him, and this time it wasn't Lariah's semblance. He felt nervous, having seen his teammates amazing abilities and believing his wouldn't stack up in comparison.

"Well… um…" he held out his automatic crossbow on his lap. "This is Rundasbane. It's… well it's usually an auto crossbow. And, I use these bolts in my quiver." he held one out to show it to them. "But, twist the handle here and…" he slipped it onto his arm and the sword came out with a sharp snikt. "Arm sword… that's about it." There was a silence that, to Cedar at least, seemed to last forever. He was expecting them to start laughing, almost...

"It's quite charming." Yasmin noted the look of the blade. "Small and not very flashy, but effective. Especially as a crossbow."

"I suspect y'got some good aim with that thing. Covers up our long range pretty nicely." Isaac smiled supportively. Cedar felt a little better about his weapon.

"So, what about your semblance?" Lariah queried, leaning forward. Cedar fumbled for a moment, feeling a knot tighten up inside his stomach. Maybe it was just the beef bowl not agreeing with him, but more likely it was his nerves again. He felt at odds with himself, thinking quickly on what he should do.

"I…" he began to speak, mustering up a little courage. "I've not unlocked it yet." he lied.

"Oh… well, that's a shame." Lariah frowned, somewhat disappointed.

"Well y'know what they say, great things come with time." Isaac assured him. "I betcha you'll unlock it just from trainin' with us."

"Yes, it's nothing to be too concerned over." Yasmin added, offering a somewhat sympathetic smile… right until she flicked her fan over her mouth and her eyes took on that. "So long as you're not lying to us about it."

"What? No!" Cedar instantly responded, hoping Yasmin hadn't just seen right through him. "I… I'm not proud of it, but It's true. I just… never unlocked it." Yasmin eyed him suspiciously, Cedar felt himself shivering, his fox ears drooping a little.

"...well, alright then." Yasmin snapped her fan shut. "I trust you, Cedar. As your teammate."

"And friend!" Lariah added. Cedar nodded as well, his ears perking up again slightly as he breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks guys." He smiled weakly.

"Well, now that that's bout done, I say we get ourselves some shut eye. Classes n' all tomorrow." Isaac recommended. Almost in direct response, Cedar found himself yawning slightly. They took turns going into the bathroom to change into their sleeping clothes. Yasmin returning in an elegant flower patterned silk nightie, Isaac a simple black shirt and shorts, Lariah a tank top and longer trousers with fish patterns. Cedar just slipped on a button up green pajama shirt and trousers to match, feeling far more comfortable in them. After that, they said their goodnights and climbed into their beds, drawing the blinds on the window and switching the lights off. Darkness and quietude engulfed the room and settled the newly formed team down into a long night's slumber.

All except for Cedar. He laid awake, staring up at the ceiling, nerves and doubt wracking his mind. He glanced over at the other beds, his teammates already fast asleep. He couldn't get his mind off of their show and tell… he'd lied to his teammates. It wasn't because he didn't trust them, he was just embarrassed and ashamed of himself.

He knew full well what his semblance was and how it worked. But not only was he ashamed of his semblance and that he hadn't mastered it… he thought it would be useless for a huntsman to have. It was nothing cool or special. Ever since he discovered it in combat school, he'd done his best to hide it and thus, hadn't practiced trying to master it. No, he couldn't tell them, not yet… he didn't want to let them down, not so soon after they'd become a team. Maybe someday he'd tell them. But for now, it had to be his secret… not unless he wanted to become dead weight on his own team. At least it wasn't hurting them for the time being.

His doubts finally quelled, he was able to let his eyes close and drift off into slumber. Tomorrow was a new day, after all. A new day with new friends and new people. His chance to shine. His chance to prove himself. To himself… and to her.


	4. V1C4: The Foundations

**Volume 4**

Chapter 4: The Foundations

BIBEEP! BIBEEP! BIBEEP!

The alarm on Cedar's scroll woke him the next morning, the repeating beeps raising him from a dreamless slumber until he tapped it to turn it off. He sat up and blinked his eyes open, shaking his head slightly as his fox ears perked up. Glancing around the room, he almost expected it to be his room back at home, with the wardrobe at the foot of the bed, window to his right, the tatty red rug stretching out beside his bed and the wafting scent of breakfast creeping under the door. But as he looked around and remembered he was still at Lustre Academy, he smiled slightly. It hadn't quite felt real yesterday, but waking up in this room, now it felt real. He'd made it… he wasn't going anywhere. Not yet.

The next thing that drew his attention was the sound of running water and the rising steam from the bathroom, someone was showering. Considering he could see Isaac still asleep, snoring noisily and Lariah still in bed, he guessed it was Yasmin who was showering. He stood up and moved to get his clothes from the wardrobe, but when he was checking for his normal clothes, he found something he wasn't expecting, some identical articles of clothing he didn't remember bringing, nor did he remember anyone adding it to the wardrobe. Three dark blue sweater vests, three long sleeve cream shirts, two sets of blue trousers and a similarly coloured skirt with a cream lining and three dark blue ties, lined with three light blue diamond symbols.

Yasmin emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her hair and her body clothed in one of the outfits Cedar had spied in the wardrobe, though her feet were currently bare and a rich smell of soap wafted out from the bathroom.

"Aaahhh. This fits me nicely. All the measurements are correct. Much better than I was expecting." Yasmin was admiring herself, checking the length of the skirt and her shirt.

"Umm… why are you wearing that?" Cedar asked idly, still a little dozy.

"It's my uniform, silly." Yasmin giggled. "There's one for each of us. You might want to get yours on before these two get up and hog the bathroom." she joked, gesturing to her two slumbering teammates. "My hair still needs to dry anyway."

"Um, right." Cedar took one of the outfits, the smaller of the two of course, before he headed into the bathroom. He showered up, having brought his own soap and shampoo with him, he needed something special so it wouldn't affect his fox ears natural fur. Once he was washed and dried, he tried on his new outfit. It was a good fit, decently comfy, though he took a few minutes fumbling with the tie and watching himself in the bathroom mirror. He'd miss wearing his scarf and gloves… but it did look a little more official. He emerged back into the bedroom where the rest of his team were now awake.

"Heeey Cedar! You look kinda cute." Lariah beamed at him and the Faunus smiled a little shyly.

"Not that cute… but you should probably try yours on, too." He mentioned.

"Oooh right! We better hurry or we'll miss breakfast!" Lariah dashed into the bathroom with not even a hint of debate from Isaac, who still seemed very weary. A little while later, all four of them were dressed and making their way down to the dining hall from last night. It was clean as ever and a number of students had already arrived, seated at tables of queueing for food, everyone in uniform. Cedar couldn't help but feel a little proud, even comfortable as they joined the line. Their uniformity, it felt like he was really one of them. A normal student training to be a huntsman… he briefly wondered if being excited over something so mundane was sad, silly or both.

Whilst walking over to a table with a bowl of porridge, Cedar spied someone waving at him.

"Oi, shortyfox!" It was Ozzy, the copper haired loudmouth who was waving at him from a table. "Come sit with us, eh? We could use the company!" The rest of team TORC were seated next to him. A little chat with ICYL and soon both teams were sharing a table together. Somehow, Martin made the school uniform look even smarter, whilst Ozzy had somehow already gotten food on his sweater vest too, mangling a plate of scrambled eggs in the meantime.

"I'm so excited for class today!" The girl Cedar vaguely remembered as Candi piped up, her shocking pink hair with slight blue highlights catching his eyes, a bowl of sugary cereal set in front of her. "Do any of you guys know what we're doing first?"

"I believe it's history first." Martin spoke up, showing his scroll with the class schedule on it.

"Well that's just dandy." Isaac smiled, making his way through a fry up on his plate. "I ain't too partial to history round my home, so I wanna find out s'more."

"You said you're from Vacuo, right?" Lariah glanced his way, a kipper idly stuck on her fork. "So you guys don't hear much about history over there?"

"Not s'much." Isaac shook his head. "Was kinda homeschooled and we didn't have all too many books."

"Bah who needs it!" Ozzy scoffed, his mouth full of egg and toast. "All ya need to be a huntsman is a good punchin' arm and the common sense not to stand in a Grimm's swingin' range! Who needs history?!"

"Mind yourself, Ozzy." Yasmin smirked, picking at an omelette. "Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

"Yes, miss Yasmin has the right idea." Martin nodded, Yasmin raising a suggestive eyebrow at his compliment. "We should all be sure to study hard alongside our combat practice, both will be important."

"Studying's hard…" Lariah frowned, slightly bemused. "I tried to study with Dad a couple times… it didn't work out."

"Come on, we'll all help each other!" Candi leaned over the table, her pale yellow eyes sparkling with an unusual gleam. "We can be one big study group!"

"Maybe we should actually see what we're working with first." Martin suggested, adjusted his glasses slightly whilst Cedar stood up, having finished his breakfast whilst they were talking. He made his way over to a stack on the right side of the room to put his tray and bowl away when he walked by a familiar blonde haired boy. The two collided in passing and Cedar suffered the worst of it, the bump making him stumble before he tripped and fell forward, face planting right into his bowl and covering his face in his leftovers. The room around him went quiet as people turned to look at the Faunus who'd fallen over. The silence was deafening as Cedar raised his porridge smeared face from the floor.

"Watch where you're going, mutt." Terrance growled, only looking back for a moment before he continued walking. That word… mutt… Cedar was familiar with it. Back in combat school when the other kids made fun of his Faunus traits, mutt was one of the things they called him. All that feeling of belonging drained away along with the colour in his face, his ears limp and his body stiff, finding himself unable to even get up off the floor.

"Now hold up there, pardner." Isaac was suddenly standing, facing down with Terrance, his face a picture of calm but with a distilled anger bubbling behind his eyes. "Y'all bumped into my buddy there and sent him sprawlin'. You oughta apologise." Cedar looked back at him in surprise, the room focused on them. The blonde boy's teeth gritted as he stood against Isaac.

"Your _buddy_ wasn't looking where he was going, butterball." Terrance accused him, folding his arms. "You got a problem with that?"

"Matter of fact, I do. _And_ I got a problem with that insult." Isaac returned, both boys emitting a great aura of intensity as they stared each other down.

"Not my fault you eat more than anyone in this hall." Terrance returned, his eyes narrow and spiteful.

"Not what's important, friend. Y'shouldn't be knockin' folks over like that." Isaac replied, firm and calm.

"I'm gonna smack you if you keep accusing me for your friend being clumsy.." Terrance spat as Cedar watched, Lariah moving to help him up in the meantime. Were they really going to start a fight here?

"Maybe we should settle this here, pardner. Been a while since I done some proper wrasslin'." Isaac seemed more than intent to throw down, when someone intervened.

"Now now you two, calm down." A grey haired boy said, someone Cedar recognised as Silas, Terrance's teammate. "It was just an accident after all, no need to be so hostile over it."

"Hostile? Pardon me but it was your buddy who insulted mine." Isaac countered, not impressed with the smooth talking mediator.

"Oh please, it was an off handed remark. Terrance doesn't actually mean that." Silas assured him coolly, looking to his blonde friend. "Isn't that right?"

"...yeah." Terrance seemed to simmer down a little, his teeth no longer grinding and his arms unfolding.

"See? Now let's stop this fighting business before a teacher shows up, shall we? Don't want to make a bad impression on the first day, after all." Silas continued, smiling at Isaac who was finding it difficult to get a word in. Silas just took his hulking teammate back to their table whilst Cedar felt a mix of confusion and sadness.

"Creep." Lariah muttered with a frown, wiping Cedar's face with her napkin to clean the porridge stains off. "Are you okay?"

"A little." Cedar lied, still unsettled by his comment and looking a fool in front of his new peers. The front of his uniform was a little scuffed too, which he brushed down, his ears still flopped over his head.

"Who the bloomin' hell does he think he is?!" Ozzy snapped once the two were sat back at their table. "Callin' a Faunus a mutt, bloomin' cheek…"

"He probably didn't mean it like that…" Brock tried to speak up. He shared a knowing look with Cedar, the two sharing a mutual understanding of Faunus torment.

"Perhaps we should steer clear of their group in future." Martin recommended, having watched the whole thing over the rim of his glasses. Then the bell rang nearby and everyone got up to go to class. Cedar trailed behind his team as they put their trays away and walked on, his head down as he tried to recover his shattered pride.

A little wandering later and they found their classroom, a large square room with seats and stacked tables lining the back walls which the students began to fill, stairs cutting through the middle of the room and leading down toward the front area. That area was dominated by a large antique looking desk with a polished wooden surface and ornately carved patterns spiralling around its corners and sides. A large leather seat sat behind it, probably the most modern furnishing in the room. Strung up on the walls behind the desk were framed pieces of parchment, depicting maps, sketches of Grimm and huntsmen of the past. And most interestingly of all, a wooden mannequin dressed up in an antique suit of armour, composed of green and silver metal with a sword in hand, keeping a watchful eye over the room, like a valiant guard at his post.

Everyone took their seats and for a while there were murmurs and a little chatting until their teacher arrived, drawing the eyes of the students with his toffee brown hair fading into soft red and his loud tweed jacket.

"Good morning everyone!" He said cheerily, strolling down the stairs to his desk and standing behind it, adjusting his bow tie slightly and the light reflecting in his dark brass framed glasses. "My name is Malum Saccharo, and you can all call me Professor Saccharo! I'll be your history teacher over this term." He clapped his hands together, his face a picture of pure excitement. "Now, who's ready to explore the past and relive the tales of old?!" there was a resounding silence from the classroom til Saccharo continued.

"W-well then, why don't we test your skills on local history first? Can any of you tell me about the area this school is situated in?" Saccharo looked eagerly to the class, all a little too nervous to put their hands up. Then, Martin raised his hand.

"It's a colony built by the four kingdoms, sir. It's the youngest large settlement in Remnant.." He said quickly, Cedar could've sworn his glasses flashed slightly as he answered.

"Very good, Mr Thistle!" Saccharo nodded, taking a device out of his pocket and pressing a button on it, activating a projector, displaying a map of Remnant on the screen. On the Sanus continent, on the central southern section between Vale and Vacuo, the shield symbol of Vault was present on the map.

"18 years ago, the four kingdoms were facing a crisis of overpopulation, their capital cities were full and there were fewer safe villages with increasing Grimm and bandit attacks." The image on the board showed a number of human symbols popping up over the four kingdoms. "Even with Menagerie, this problem couldn't be fixed. So, the councils arranged a meeting to discuss a solution. And they came up with one." He clicked the device and it returned to an image of Sanus. "At the time, Vacuo had plans to expand a mining operation into this area." he pointed to the map. "And the dust reserves there had been untapped, a fresh vein of resources. So the four kingdoms proposed something… a grand plan to solve their issues and make use of this deposit of dust! And that project, boys and girls, was the colony of Vault!"

He clicked the projector to show a layout plan for the city, including building placements, wall defences and certain establishments. "The four kingdoms came together and began building on this site, their troops protecting it from Grimm at night and through pooling their resources, they were able to construct a settlement on the volcanic soil of the area, using natural defences and built defences to protect it. Construction took a year of work and a lot of money, but it was completed by that year's end." Professor Saccharo continued to lecture, changing the image to a photograph of what looked like a township, small but fresh and new.

"Initially, Vault was populated by the workers and those stationed there to protect it. Anyone in the kingdoms who didn't have a stable home or those that lived in unprotected settlements were invited to have a fresh start in the newly flourishing colony. It was built with the best of all four kingdoms, the technology of Atlas, the style of Mistral, the culture of Vale and of course, the strong working attitude of Vacuo, who could resist such an offer?" the professor grinned brightly as he changed the image to another photograph, this one a little later than the first.

"Now, who can tell me how they decided Vault would be governed?" Saccharo looked over the class and Cedar kept his hand down, still trying to write down what the professor had just been saying.

"Sir." Yasmin raised her hand to answer. "It was decided Vault would be governed by four council members from each kingdom so each kingdom may have a voice here and all would be equal."

"Excellent answer, miss Ginshi!" Professor Saccharo nodded, clicking the device as the board showed four individuals, one from each kingdom, no-one Cedar recognised. "Even now this system of government is in place, however recently a representative chosen by the people of Vault has also been given a seat on the council to assist in its governing." Saccharo continued. "Thanks to their guidance, Vault has flourished despite being only 17 years old, a success for the other kingdoms' project. Now, who can tell me when Lustre Academy was built?" There was a greater show of hands this time, more students knew of the academy than the colony itself. "Yes, Mr Sleet?"

"It was established 10 years ago." Silas replied, smiling thinly.

"Not quite, Mr Sleet.." Saccharo shook his head slightly. "After Vault was constructed and proved it could sustain life and income, the council members drew up a plan to construct an academy and further aid in the training of huntsmen to protect the colony and work outside it. Once again the kingdoms pooled their resources in order to build it, which took 6 months. However, the plans and the building occurred 11 years ago, whilst Lustre Academy opened the next year, aka 10 years ago. So, you were close Mr Sleet." Saccharo smiled at him reassuringly and the grey haired boy just rolled his eyes. "Make sure all of you write that down!" he said quickly, clicking the device to change the image again, this time it was of Lustre Academy. 10 years had been very kind to it, Cedar thought as he gazed at the photograph on the screen.

"Now then, who can tell me the rules the council set upon Lustre Academy when it was built?" Saccharo looked over the class, this time no-one raised their hands to Saccharo decided to pick someone. "You, Mr Wattle, can you tell me?"

"Erm… urr…" the copper haired boy struggled, having been leaning back in his seat all this time and paying little attention. "Don't practice Grimm dentistry?" There was a slight snicker from somewhere in the room.

"No." the professor said flatly. "The rules of the academy are similar to the rules of those that run the colony itself. At least one representative from each kingdom must be present in order to maintain presence and fair order, whilst the headmaster and the school nurse are both neutral representatives." he proudly put a hand on his chest. "The more astute amongst you may have picked up on the fact I am the representative chosen for Vacuo. I'll leave you to figure out the rest." he winked cheekily and clicked the button again, shifting to an image of Lustre's blueprints. "That's arguably what makes Lustre Academy the finest huntsman academy. Everything is shared here, the culmination of the four greatest kingdoms to make one final achievement. And with Vault continuing to flourish, it's going to give us plenty to talk about in future!" Then the projector turned to an image of the more modern Vault township. "Now, to finish up for today, can anyone give me an explanation why Vault is becoming so prosperous?"

"Sir." Yasmin was the one to speak up once again. "It's become prosperous due to a thriving tourist trade, low crime rates, the environment and the mix of cultures."

"Very good indeed, miss Ginshi!" Saccharo nodded, changing the image once again. "Because Vault was built upon volcanic soil, growing crops has become one of its main exports. Plus there's still the healthy deposit of dust being mined and sold. The mix of cultures also turned Vault into a unique experience even among over kingdoms with attractions like the Atlas designed shopping centre of the more Mistrallian based hot springs, again thanks to the environment." Saccharo explained, striding up and down behind his desk. "And yes indeed, the low crime rates. With Atlas trained personnel on the watch, few criminals attempt large scale operations and most of the crime consists of petty theft and vandalism." Saccharo turned back to the group.

"Alright, that's all for today. For your homework, i'd like you to research something that assisted in creating Vault, be it a group, a resource or a person and present your research in a short essay. That's all for now, class dismissed!" the bell rang perfectly in line with when he finished his speech. Cedar just about managed to finish writing his notes when the bell went, breathing a sigh of relief. The entire lesson had gone by pretty quickly and he'd struggled to keep up, but it helped knowing some of the others weren't finding it easy too, like Ozzy.

"Y'comin' Cedar?" Isaac tapped him on the shoulder.

"Oh uh, yeah, i'm coming." Cedar got up quickly, following Isaac out.

"You sure know a bit about history, Yasmin!" Lariah mentioned as they were walking.

"Well, my family moved out here to assist in the building of Vault when I was very young. So I had a good home teacher, you could say." Yasmin explained, a slightly proud smile playing on her lips.

"Ohhh so you're local! I always kinda guessed you were from Mistral because of your outfit and your weapons." Lariah looked surprised, scratching her chin. "Here I just moved here from Vale and all…"

"There's no shame in not being local." Yasmin assured her. "What about you, Cedar?"

"Hm?" Cedar hadn't been listening and was more focused on walking. "Oh, yeah, i'm local. I was born in Vault, actually… my family moved out here from Vale due to um… financial troubles." he explained, though he kept a little bit of the truth to himself for the time being.

"So you're both local! Neat!" Lariah beamed. "You two better show me around town sooner or later!"

"Maybe at the weekend." Yasmin flicked her fan over her mouth and looked at Lariah with those suspicious eyes. "Unless you're suggesting we cut class on the first day."

"W-what?! No, I wasn't saying that at all!" Lariah protested, throwing her hands up in surprise.

"It's alright Lariah, the mind wanders and wants to free itself from this prison of a school." Yasmin teased her as Lariah became increasingly flustered.

"Stop saying those things! I just wanna see the town sometime, not during school!" She insisted. Isaac chuckled and patted her on the shoulder.

"Now calm yerself. She's only teasin'." Isaac assured her and Lariah just pouted indignantly. Yasmin flicked her fan shut and moved on, the strong armed girl lagging behind the group as they returned to the cantina. It was lunchtime after all. As Cedar returned to the hall, he remembered what happened over breakfast and felt a little nervous at it happening again. He'd have to keep an eye out for that blonde boy from before and his grey haired partner. He mustered up his courage, tightened his fists and went to get food.


	5. V1C5: Hiding In Plain Sight

**Volume 1**

Chapter 5: Hiding In Plain Sight

Cedar was very thankful lunchtime went by without any complications. There were a few times he could've sworn Ozzy was about to fling a chicken leg at a passing Silas, but Martin played idiot's keeper and kept his hand down. He settled in a little easier, the reassuring presence of his teammates quelling the rush of fear and uncertainty that had been bubbling inside him. Or maybe he'd just been super hungry, he sure felt a lot better with some food inside him.

"Food soothes the heart n' the soul." Isaac claimed when Cedar had shared a glance with him.

"I think you mean music, Isaac.." Yasmin quipped with a little smile.

"Now I don't think music is awfully tasty." Isaac rebutted jokingly, the two going back and forth for a little bit. It was like watching a double act on television, Cedar thought with a happy smile.

Soon enough, the bell rang once again and the four students made their way to their next class. Which, according to the timetable Cedar had finally downloaded, was Tracking and Hunting… kind of a weird title, Cedar thought. After all, wasn't killing Grimm considered hunting? Or was this something else entirely? Why have a separate class for it?

Once they arrived at the classroom, it seemed very similar in build to Professor Saccharo's classroom, same rows of seats, same desks, same stairs, same open front section. The difference here was in decor. This time the desk was a drab grey table with some drawers on its other side, in front of a modern looking swivel chair with wheels on its underside. The walls were fairly bare aside from nasty looking devices hung up, some kind of large sharp toothed mechanical jaws, a rope tied into a noose, a cage with spring locked hinges, opened like a cube and a bolas with a red stain on it. Cedar winced a little at all these vicious looking contraptions as he sat next to Yasmin. There was also a large object covered by a black cloth sitting over in the corner behind the desk.

The students chattered amongst themselves as once again, there was no sign of their teacher. And as time passed, their teacher still didn't arrive. So the students continued to chatter.

"I bet he's off drinking behind the school." Silas snickered, chatting with his team. "I hear he's from Mistral, he's probably some criminal."

"Bloody hell, y'think they'd give us someone like that for a teacher?" Ozzy whispered to Lariah, overhearing him.

"I don't know! I mean… i'd sure hope not." the copper haired beefcake also seemed uneasy. .

"Mistrallian sitting right here, you know." Yasmin glared slightly at the gossipers. "Though this level of tardiness _is_ rather unprofessional."

"Maybe he just lost track of time?" Cedar suggested. "I mean that's reasonab-"

"You know it's rude to talk in class, even if your teacher isn't there yet." A voice suddenly silenced the students, all of them looking around from where it came from. It sounded like an adult's voice… but there was no sign of whoever was speaking. "Oh and you all fail my first test, seeing what's blatantly right in front of you." the voice added. And on cue, something seemed to happen over by the swivel chair. A figure appeared in the seat as if by magic, dressed in light leather armour with a red ascot around his neck. He got up off the seat and sighed slightly, his expression flat and lifeless.

"See, if I was some assassin, all of you would be dead right now. All because you didn't see what was right in front of you. If you can't see that, you're gonna be a bad huntsman." he stood in front of his desk and leaned back on it. "Name's Hearst Redwood. Guess you can call me Professor, but I don't care, just call me whatever." he moved back onto his feet. "I'm here to teach you about tracking and survival outside of dealing with Grimm."

"Now, I know what you're thinking. Why do you need to learn tracking and survival, huh?" he spoke listlessly with very little enthusiasm in his voice. "Grimm will just come to you and it's not like you need to seek them out, right? Well if you think that, you're a fool."

Cedar heard a whisper and a snigger amongst some nearby students. In the blink of an eye, the Professor pulled a small crossbow from his belt and fired a bolt into their group. They jumped just in time to dodge it. They stared at the professor in shock.

"I'm talking. Save your little jokes for later." The teacher said flatly, slipping his crossbow away as the students recoiled in fear. "Look, Grimm might come to you, but you can still track them if they're particularly big and nasty. Any huntsman worth their salt can tell you about a Grimm from a footprint and hide from them for days." Redwood claimed, idly strolling around his desk. "And then there's people. I don't know what you imagine a huntsman job is like, but you're gonna come across bad people sooner or later. Be it a bandit, some terrorist or a rogue huntsman, it's gonna happen. And you've gotta learn how to hide from them, track them and outmatch them, if you want to survive."

That was something Cedar admittedly hadn't thought about. Fighting and killing Grimm wasn't anything he felt bad about, they were just monsters. But people, with thoughts, feelings and histories? That he felt uneasy about. Sure, they were probably going to be bad guys, but would he be able to fight them? Or even kill them?

"Now, seeing as you all can't see a man sitting in a chair, why don't we start simple?" Hearst talked down to them, surveying the room with half lidded eyes. "Who can tell me the most important qualities needed when hunting Grimm?" A number of hands raised.

"Skill in battle." Yasmin answered when Redwood pointed to her.

"Teamwork!" Candi answered, her eyes shining slightly.

"A plan?" Martin asked, Redwood nodding in return. After that, no-one else seemed to have any answers. The professor sighed.

"Well you've got most of it, but you've got the most important thing missing." Cedar honestly couldn't think of what else there was as Redwood smirked slightly. "Emotional stability." that caused a stir, the class unsure of what he meant. "Look, you _do_ know how Grimm work, don't you? They're attracted to negative emotions, anger, fear, sadness, jealousy. Negative emotions are like ringing a dinner bell for Grimm." he strolled over to the back of the room, toward the large object covered by the black cloth. "And conversely, Grimm find it harder to track and seek out folks who are feeling good about themselves." he dragged the huge object to the front of the class and wheeled his chair in front of it.

"So, for today's lesson, i'm gonna need an assistant. Good thing I got one earlier." he then whipped off the cloth from the box and the whole class reeled from the shock of what lay beneath it. Under the cloth was a large plastic square container. And inside that container, was a Beowolf. It snarled and scratched at the wall of its container, bumping into it to try and escape. Redwood smirked, tapping the side of the box and the Beowolf smacked it with its paw in response. "Isn't he adorable? He hates me so much." he snickered, turning on his heel to face the astonished class.

"Why the bloody hell didja bring a Grimm to class?!" Ozzy snapped.

"If you sit down and wait, i'll tell you." Redwood snapped as the class sank back into their seats. "See, Grimm are pretty close to animals. They can hunt you as any other animal can. They see you." he waved at the Beowolf in the box. "They hear you." he knocked on the box's wall. "And they smell you, like any predator. But they've got that keen sense for negativity to seek you out too." he then picked up the cloth and draped it back over the box, hiding the Beowolf. Cedar just blinked, this whole lesson taking him on a rollercoaster ride of doubt and uncertainty.

"If you're emotionally stable, hidden from sight, being quiet and don't stink, Grimm can't track you. And in a situation where you're outmanned, outgunned or just out of luck, you're gonna have to hide. And when you hide, you need to be emotionally stable. That's why it's so important. You've gotta remove that advantage these things have in finding you, to survive." Redwood leaned against the box. "Now, i'm gonna call you one at a time. I want you to sit in front of the box and be as emotionally stable as you can. If you manage it, my charming assistant won't make any noise. Otherwise he will, and you fail. Got it? Good? Okay." he didn't wait for any questions before he took out his scroll and looked down a list of names, scratching the slight stubble under his chin.

At first Cedar was under the impression professor Redwood would call them in alphabetical order, so naturally the first one picked was Lariah, just to prove him wrong. He whispered a 'good luck' to her as she made her way down to sit in front of the box. Her usual smile wasn't present, instead her face was pure concentration, her hands clenched into fists as she did her best to stay focused. But after a few seconds, the Beowolf began snarling and struck the side of the box, making her recoil in fear.

"You're dead. Next." Redwood callously showed her off and she returned to her seat, disappointed. Several more students came and went. Terrance barely even got to sit down before the Beowolf started making noise. Violetta lasted a little while as she fiddled with her violet hair but soon enough, the box started rocking. Isaac lasted the longest so far, sitting arms folded, his usual smile on his face… then one little flinch and the box rattled with noise.

"Stizza Hamelin, you're up." The mysterious masked boy approached the box next. Cedar remembered him from the exam, still wearing that eye mask with his curly brown locks cascading around his head. Somehow it just made him all the stranger to look at. He sat calmly in the chair, putting one leg over his lap, fixing the box with an intense stare. Seconds passed, torturously long as the container was silent and the students waited with baited breath. But nothing happened. No noise, no movement, the Beowolf couldn't sense him.

"...well, i'll be." Hearst seemed honestly surprised. "Not bad, Hamelin. Nice to know someone in this class gets it."

"Thank you, sir." Stizza replied politely, then stood and returned to his seat. Cedar watched, dumbfounded as the student went to sit with his team, the girls congratulating him and the other boy just staring with his jaw hanging open. How had he managed to maintain that calm when no-one else could?!

"Cedar Glade." Redwood's voice brought him back to reality. It was his turn… and with that performance to top, Cedar wasn't feeling too confident. He got up and headed down, trying to steel himself as much as he could. The moment he took a seat, the Beowolf slammed into the side of the box.

"Very, very dead. Next." Redwood didn't even bat an eye and defeated, Cedar returned to his seat. No-one matched Stizza's level of calm after that, only Yasmin and Martin were able to keep it quiet for nearly as long.

"Great news kids, with this kind of stability, even a blind baby Beowolf could find you in a snowstorm." Redwood chastised them, idly moving the boxed Grimm to the back of the classroom. "We're gonna keep doing this at the start of every class, so the lot of you had better figure out how to keep yourselves calm. Think of something happy, meditate, play a song in your head, just find something that keeps you out of the negative. I can't tell you what you're gonna need." Redwood sighed, checking his scroll. "Alright, well now the fun stuff's out the way, you'd better start taking notes."

The rest of the class was, as Redwood put it, pretty boring. Cedar made sure to take plenty of notes as Redwood talked about how to track Grimm, noting footprint sizes, forms of destruction left on structures, injuries on other hunters. He had to admit, this did seem a little more useful if they were out in the field… from the classroom it was a little harder to appreciate, not to mention Redwood's entirely disinterested tone didn't exactly liven the lesson up at all. Something about his lifeless nature and his cold quips really irritated Cedar. Really, he seemed younger than professor Saccharo too, how was this guy fit to teach them at all?!

"Alright, hope you all took notes because I hate repeating myself. Find your centre and focus for next lesson. Now go away." The bell rang as he finished his statement and no-one in class seemed particularly interested in sticking around. That was except for Brock. As Cedar was headed out with his team, he noticed the black and white Faunus going to ask the teacher some questions. He didn't stick around to find out what he was asking, not his place to intrude, despite his curiosity.

"Never thought we'd have a teacher like that…" Isaac pondered aloud as they walked down the hall.

"Quite." Yasmin seemed particularly irritated. "His attitude is terrible and he shouldn't be shooting at students. I've half a mind to complain to the headmaster."

"After just one lesson?" Lariah asked, hanging behind them. "Cmon, he was still at least giving us information, right? Why not give him a chance?"

"His chance was today." Yasmin retorted, rolling her eyes. "First impressions count for everything and his was very poor." The debate continued as the group returned to their room and decided to change out of their uniforms for the rest of the day. There was still some time until dinner, after all.

"So… what do you guys want to do now?" Cedar asked as he slipped his comfy green jacket back on but left his scarf behind.

"We could go explore the grounds! We still haven't seen everything in the school yet, right?." Lariah suggested, slipping on her armless top.

"I think we got quite the tour when you got us lost." Yasmin joked and Lariah just pouted at that.

"Well, I reckon' we should take a proper gander round. We are livin' here a long time after all." Isaac suggested, wedging his stetson back onto his head.

"I agree with Isaac." Cedar piped up. The others had no real arguments, so they began their tour of the school.

The first thing they realised when they arrived in the entrance hall was, Lustre was actually fairly easy to navigate. By now they'd figured out the basics, the entrance hall was at the front of the school, off through the left exit was the dining hall but the area to the right was unknown to them. A little foray into that revealed it to be a gym area, various exercise and weightlifting equipment around the room, plus a shower and changing room nearby.

"Nice!" Lariah beamed at the sight of it. "I'm coming here before breakfast from now on!" Cedar had seen a gym back in Vault, but Lustre's certainly kicked its backside in terms of equipment. There was even a boxing ring nearby for sparring matches.

"So, where to from here?" Yasmin asked. They found another passage from the gym and wound up following the corridor deeper into Lustre Academy's ground floor. They passed by a couple of classrooms lining the left and right walls before they came upon a set of double doors. Beyond them was a large sports hall, seating on either side, a vast space in the middle for various forms of sport and another changing room off to the side. There also seemed to be a room for equipment, Cedar spying a net and some cones through the slightly ajar door.

"Well, the curriculum _did_ mention sports." Yasmin stroked her chin slightly as they looked around. Cedar was a little excited seeing this. He wondered if the school had a track team or did hurdles. He was sure he could excel at that.

Leaving the sports hall, they passed by a number of rooms with computers set up in them and even what looked like a technician's lab, full of equipment and machinery. Lariah almost had to be pulled away from the sight as she stared at it.

"Awww I could make soooo much cool stuff in there!" She gawked with Cedar tugging on one of her huge arms just to get her moving again. They continued to wander the halls and came upon what appeared to be an elevator, standing out a little compared to the stairwells they'd been using to access the second floor, where their dorms were. It was akin to a strange mystical gate leading to places unknown. Though when Cedar pushed the button and it slid open, it seemed a little less mystical.

He checked the buttons inside the elevator. Curiously, there were only three available. The one lit up read "Ground floor" which seemed simple enough. The one above it read "Headmaster's office." That was kind of cool, having an office in the tallest tower of Lustre… kinda dramatic, really, did he need an elevator just for that? That was answered with a solid 'no' when he read the bottom button, which read "Basement." It seemed innocuous enough, but he couldn't help but wonder about why they needed an elevator to get down there. The stairwells didn't go down, as far as he'd seen… so why need an elevator for it? Were there no service entrances?

"Are you quite finished admiring the lift, Cedar?" Yasmin teased as the Faunus realised he'd just been standing in there, staring at the buttons for some time.

"Uhhh yeah, i'm done." Cedar put the thought behind him and slipped out to rejoin his team, making a mental note of it. As they continued, they passed by the teacher's lounge and heard what sounded like muffled shouting from within, deciding not to investigate at the risk of it having something to do with Professor Redwood. Then beyond that, another set of double doors presented themselves, leading into a large library. This room definitely bore the style of Vale, with its oaken wooden floor, curled stair banisters and huge bookshelves simply stuffed with brightly coloured tomes, an open skylight shining on the two floor archive. A hushed, calming atmosphere wrapped around them as seats and tables beckoned them to sit and study.

"Now this… is my heaven." Yasmin was amazed at the sight, awash with a need to read. "Everyone, why don't we use this chance to study for our history homework?"

"But it's not due in til-" Lariah tried to say before Yasmin silenced her, pressing a fan over her mouth.

"We can't waste a chance with a resource like this, Lariah! Come on, let's just throw ourselves into it!" She was so insistent, poor Lariah was finding it hard to say no. Cedar had to admit, he wanted to stay as well, wondering if he could find a good story book to borrow. Isaac however was distracted when his scroll started to ring.

"Yello?" he answered, holding the device steady.

"Isaac? It's me, Candi!" the familiar, bubbly voice on the other end replied. "Say, are you busy? I'm kinda in need of a spotter in the gym and my team are busy!"

"Whas' a spotter?" Isaac blinked, unfamiliar with the term.

"Someone to help me with the weights, silly!" Candi giggled at the other end and Isaac smiled a little.

"Well I s'pose I could. Why me, though? Actually, how'dja get my scroll number?" Isaac questioned.

"I-I just trust you Isaac! You seem like such a nice guy! It'll be fuuuuuun." Candi insisted in a sing song voice.

"Well, alright. I'll be over in just a sec." He hung up and looked to his team. "Sorry fellers, y'all can get started on the studyin' without me, I got a pal to help."

"Sure, Isaac! Just come meet us here later!" Lariah managed to say before Yasmin dragged her into the library to her paper backed doom. Cedar just nodded in Isaac's direction before going to join the others and lose himself in a good book, just like he used to at combat school.

* * *

Isaac made his way down the hall back toward the gym. He'd more or less gotten the hang of how Lustre was set out now and so, made it there in due time. He was turning over the conversation with Candi in his head. She had seemed very eager to speak with him… maybe she had feelings for him beyond friendship? Or was he being presumptuous? It'd be pretty rude to assume that, especially after just one day together. He continued ruminating on these ideas til he arrived at the door of the gym, the door slightly ajar. With a quick push, he strolled right in.

SPLAT!

Before Isaac could realise something was off, a metal bucket propped on the slightly open door fell down and landed on his head. A rich smokey smell filled his nostrils as the contents of the bucket glooped down around his head, covering him in a brown sticky substance, staining the collar of his shirt and covering his stetson entirely.

Initially the Vacuoan boy was so stunned he couldn't even react. Then, he grasped the bucket and yanked it off his head, leaving him dripping and annoyed. One sniff had told him all he needed to know about the substance. Barbeque sauce.

"Consarnit, what hornswoggler did that?!" Isaac bellowed, his usual calm wavering when he heard voices around him. He flecked sauce out of his eyes so he could open them and check for the culprit, hearing a snickering and the click of something mechanical. By the time he could see, he spotted someone dashing out of the room via the door to the gym corridor. Isaac gave chase, barrelling down the corridor after the footsteps. Rounding the corner, he spied Candi walking and talking with Martin. He approached them with long strides, hands clenched into fists from irritation. "Hey!" he called out to them. Both turned in surprise.

"Isaac? What happened to you?" Martin's eyebrows raised behind his glasses, the cowboy focusing on the pink haired girl beside him.

"Thas a low down trick you dun pulled, Candi. Mighty terrible." Isaac frowned, arms folded in disgust.

"Huh? Trick?" Candi blinked in surprise.

"Callin' me into the gym and dumpin' a bucket o' sauce on me? I ain't laughin'." Isaac looked sternly at her but the pastel haired girl just looked confused.

"Call you? What do you mean?" She asked, half curious and half concerned.

"Y'all called me out to spotcha in the gym, n'ya set that bucket up to fall on m'noggin." Isaac frowned, flecking a glob of sauce out of his eyes.

"What? But I didn't…" Candi suddenly looked a little upset at Isaac's accusations.

"I hate to intrude, Isaac," Martin spoke up. "But Candi's been with me, she hasn't made any phone calls."

"Well she called me, it was her voice. I'm telling ya, it-" Before Isaac could finish, his scroll buzzed, as did Martin's and Candi's. He wiped his hand on his vest and took it out, looking at it. It was an update from the school's message board… a picture of Isaac with the bucket on his head and the sauce splattering his body, a caption reading 'Classic Vacuo Barbeque'. And below, the uploader's name. Candi Cotton.

"Wait… that's not…?" Candi gasped at the sight.

"Hmm…?" Martin's glasses flashed slightly.

"What in tarnation?" Isaac uttered in disbelief. Just what was going on around this school?


	6. V1C6: The Pecking Order, Part 1

**Volume 1**

Chapter 6: The Pecking Order, Part 1

"And you're sure it was Candi that called you?" Yasmin questioned a bewildered Isaac, sat on his bed with his teammates.

"Positive. I ain't no liar. It sounded just like 'er." Isaac claimed, arms folded with an assured look on his face.

"That is weird…" Cedar wondered aloud. He hadn't seen the picture until later on, a policy of the library was to turn your scroll off so as not to make noise and interfere with the other students. He'd spent a good few hours buried in a book 'The Man Who Stole The World' before returning to his room with the others. That's when they'd found Isaac, having showered and dumped his clothes in a basket beside his bed, muttering to himself under his breath in words Cedar daren't repeat. Now they were together, discussing the issue on who could've pulled the prank.

"The worrying thing is how the picture was sent from Candi's account, assuming it wasn't her." Yasmin thought, Cedar practically able to see her thinking it through just by the shifty movements of her eyes.

"I was with 'er when it went up. She didn't do nothin'." Isaac insisted.

"And there's no way to time posts to send at a certain time, right?" Cedar thought ahead a little bit.

"Not as far as I know." Yasmin shook her head. "Interesting indeed… someone tricked Isaac and timed it perfectly with Candi's location, and posted the photo. Our culprit is a clever one."

"But why would anyone do this? Why target Isaac?" Lariah leaned forward. "He's nice to everybody."

"Sometimes people just like taking others down a peg, Lariah." Yasmin sighed. "My concern is if more pranks like this start happening. Then we've got a serial prankster on our hands."

"I hope not…" Cedar frowned. He had enough to worry about with Faunus insults without also having to look out for a prankster.

Their discussion continued into the night, but little came from it aside from asking Candi and her team about it tomorrow. Isaac in particular was fervent in wanting to find out the truth about the situation.

The discussion even impacted Cedar's dreams, finding himself strapped to a chair in a dark room, surrounded by people in colorful masks who were dumping buckets of slime, oil and other horrible substances over him and laughing at his torment. When he woke up, he could still feel his skin and hair covered in the substances, taking a longer shower just to be sure he was clean.

At breakfast that morning, team TORC seemed extremely on edge. Candi was glancing around the room suspiciously, occasionally shovelling cereal into her mouth. Martin wouldn't stop tapping on his scroll. Ozzy was drumming his fingers on the table in annoyance, a grumpy look clear on his face. The only one who seemed alright was Brock, just casually enjoying breakfast.

"Just to confirm, Candi." Yasmin asked, once they were sitting with them. "You didn't take that picture of Isaac, nor did you post it on the board, right?"

"I didn't!" Candi whined. "I would never do that... Not to a friend."

"We shouldn't be pointing fingers at one another, it's detrimental." Martin cleared the air with an authoritative tone. "We should instead investigate this matter and then draw our conclusions."

"So how do we go about that, eh?" Ozzy asked, leaning in. Martin paused for a moment.

"...sssstill working on that." He admitted sheepishly and there was a collective groan around the table at the helplessness of their situation. "What we know is, someone was able to access Candi's account without using her scroll, so whoever did this is tech savvy, to say the least."

"Within just one day too." Yasmin mused. "Busy busy busy…"

Cedar sat quietly, bemused. All the talk of the mysterious prankster was putting him off his breakfast, he was supposed to be excited for Weapon work and Combat training today, he couldn't be getting flustered over some strange prankster! Then why was this nagging sense of doubt and concern pressing on his shoulders and keeping his head down? Why couldn't he shake it? Maybe he was afraid he'd be next considering yesterday. Wouldn't be the first time he was targeted for bullying...

Thankfully the conversation steered to more pleasant matters until the bell went and Cedar finally put those worries behind him to focus on class. They arrived in the classroom with a similar build to the others, a lecture hall with a desk at the front. This time the desk was a little rough and seemed like it'd seen a lot of manual work, the surface laden with cuts, paint stains and dirty marks. There were blueprints on the walls and, much to Cedar's awe, weaponry befitting of any old or modern huntsman. Hefty swords with hidden machine gun barrels, humble daggers with triggers on the handle, mighty axes and great swooping scythes, almost any kind of blade Cedar could think of was present. The most striking was a pair of two hefty gauntlets, bigger than his own head, let alone his hand, mechanical knuckles fit only for the strongest huntsman to wield. As he sat with his team he leaned forward and daydreamed about what kind of champion could have collected all these relics and tools.

His question was soon answered as a man lumbered into the room, blocking out the light of the doorway. To call this man a giant would be a gross understatement. Cedar estimated he was at least 7 ft tall as he lumbered toward the front, his footsteps making a rumbling thud with every step. He was swathed in a great trench coat over his mighty frame, turning to face the students from the front, bearing a weather beaten face with a square jaw and serious eyes, only accentuated by his wild grey mutton chops. He was a picture of towering might and stern authority.

"At ease, class." The large man said, the entire class quiet and observant. "I am Professor Golem. I will be your weapons maintenance and repair instructor." he introduced himself, his voice gruff and strict. "A huntsman's greatest ally is his weapon. Treat your weapon with care and it shall protect you through the worst of times. High quality maintenance and repair of your weapon is to be expected of any professional huntsman." The professor moved to the front and looked over the class with a steely glare. "And not just your weaponry. Defences against the Grimm, firearms, turrets, robots, all of which you can apply repair skills to. With technology ever marching forward, a smart huntsman will keep pace."

"Now. Do any of you believe you completely understand your weapon?" Golema addressed the class, everyone was a little too intimidated to raise their hand. Except for one, at the back.

"Sir, I do." Martin claimed, a confident smile on his lips.

"Then come down to the front. Bring your weapon." Golem beckoned him and Martin joined him at the front. He placed his yo-yo on Golem's desk. Golem gingerly picked it up and inspected it. "A unique choice for a weapon."

"Thank you, sir! It's a very intricate system and I know every single cog, spring and screw inside of it." Martin assured him, his glasses flashing slightly in the overhead lights. Golem put his weapon down and suddenly, his hands were a blur, making use of a set of tools spread across the desk. Within maybe thirty seconds, the entire weapon had been dismantled, every cog, spring and screw laid bare with the yo-yo's casing set beside it. Martin's glasses slipped down his face as his jaw hung open.

"If you are so familiar with it, then i'd like to see you put it back together." Golem looked expectantly at Martin. Martin looked over the components on the desk and picked up one of the yo-yo halves, trying to connect some pieces back together. After a little bit of trying, he looked at the professor and shook his head lightly. Golem nodded and within seconds, the yo-yo was back together again. Martin slinked back to his seat in defeat. "By the time you graduate, you will all be able to disassemble and reassemble your weapon from scratch. And if you can't, you won't be passing this class." Golem assured them, maintaining that stern tone.

Their first assignment from the professor was to write a list of every single component in their weapons and anyone who managed to get it accurately would get to leave class early. For Cedar, this was a problem. Whilst he had built his weapon himself, he really couldn't remember every part of it off hand. His teammates struggled too, he could see Lariah tugging on her fish braid in irritance, Isaac frowning and Yasmin sighing whilst idly flicking her pencil around. By the time their papers were handed in, consensus was that nobody had gotten every component right. And when Golem sighed whilst checking their papers, Cedar felt that was confirmation.

"Next." Golem brought the class' attention back to him, wheeling a trolley loaded with red metal boxes to the front of the classroom. "You're to partner up with someone not on your team. Then use the toolkits to take apart the test weapon, an Atlas pistol. Hurry now." Golem said as the various students seemed to look frantically around to find someone they liked. And it left Cedar a little bit high and dry, looking for anyone he could possibly go and work who hadn't already been taken. Most of his team had immediately paired up with team TORC but just as he was about to ask Candi to be his partner, she was suddenly standing by April with a sorry smile. Drat, Cedar thought, usurped by cuteness! He had to find someone else. And that was when his eyes fell upon one of team STAR's other members… Remus, wasn't it? Cedar honestly found it hard to remember his name. He was sitting there, nonplussed, reading from a travel atlas.

"Um… hello?" Cedar approached him, knowing full well how awkward this was.

"Hm?" The boy looked up, or Cedar presumed he did, the sunglasses he wore covered his eyes pretty well. "What? You want something?"

"Uhhh yes. I need a partner and I saw you didn't have one… so uh, wanna work together?" By Oum this was awful, he was asking a member of the team who mocked him and undercut him in the exam to be partners?! What was he thinking, there was no way he'd agree!

"Eh, sure." Remus shrugged idly and put his book away, standing up. Cedar blinked in rapid succession, mostly out of sheer disbelief. "...well?" Remus raised an eyebrow and folded his arms.

"Oh uh, right!" Counting his lucky, or unlucky stars, he raced down to the front, retrieved a toolbox and pistol and brought them back up, sitting down with Remus. "So… where do we start? Do we unscrew this?" Cedar asked, pointing at a random screw on the firearm.

"Not unless you want to hurt someone." Remus replied, taking the weapon and pulled something out of the handle, a large battery-like device sliding out. "You disarm it first."

"Oh…" Cedar hadn't even thought of that, now it seemed far too obvious. Remus went on to slide off the top of the weapon, then turned it over and removed what looked like the barrel of the weapon, a lot of more complex parts inside. "You seem to know a lot about this, Remus." Cedar noted, the other boy just looking at him oddly.

"Dad used to be in the Atlas military." he explained, whilst working on unscrewing the handle of the weapon. "Never had to take it apart, but he gave me a couple shooting lessons with some leftovers from his army days." That gave Cedar pause for thought. He'd never really trained with firing standard weaponry, he'd taken up archery as an after school club to learn how to shoot, which eventually transitioned into him using a crossbow. He'd just practiced with that back in combat school. And here was one of his classmates with gun training from an Atlas soldier? He hated to admit it to himself, but he found that kinda cool.

"That must've been nice, a dad who was a soldier." Cedar complimented Remus as he removed the trigger. He shrugged in return.

"No big deal." Remus replied. "Had its perks, drawbacks. Same as every other parent, I bet." Cedar was a little bemused. Did he really think it was so unspecial? He put it out of his mind and finished helping Remus take the pistol apart. Cedar was amazed just how many parts there were to it, this was the true face of Atlas' technology huh? Kind of made his weapon look simple, maybe even dull by comparison.

After taking the pistol apart, they put it back together and took notes from Professor Golem, lecturing them on recognising the parts of a weapon that can be taken apart and the methods and tools used to do so, mostly involving clips, screws and hinges. At the end of class, there was a little test based on the pistol they'd taken apart, naming the components and how they'd done it. Cedar and Remus ended up getting most of the answers right.

"Study up on the parts of your weapon. I'll be testing you again next class." Golem addressed the class one final time, still as firm and stoic as ever. "Alright. Dismissed." the bell rang and the class began to slip out, Remus rejoining his team without so much as a word to Cedar. The Faunus couldn't help but wonder about him. He seemed so listless and apathetic, but from the way he held that travel atlas and took apart the weapon, there was more below the surface. It made him wonder how well he truly knew his classmates…

"Y'comin', Cedar?" A tap on the shoulder jolted him back to reality, Isaac standing behind him with the rest of his team waiting by the door.

"Y-yeah, yeah, i'm coming…" He joined his teammates once again as they went to go and have lunch.

One uneventful meal later, they were already going to their next class, something most of his team seemed excited for. Combat class.

"Finally, a chance to kick some butt!" Lariah grinned, flexing her arms in excitement, hefting her weapon around her belt.

"Be nice t'finally see other folks' fightin' styles." Isaac agreed, in generally good spirits.

"I agree. Gauging our classmates combat prowess will be helpful to increasing our own skills." Yasmin smiled. Cedar was quiet behind them. A part of him was excited to see the other students fighting, but another part of him was concerned he'd mess up and make a fool of himself. He knew what that could lead to...

Unlike the other classrooms, the one for combat practice had some notable differences. First and foremost, it's stage beyond the seats was far wider and formed a large circle. There was a terminal set up behind it as well as a large screen on the wall above. There were normal seats too but there were also strange machines set up around the walls. Cedar wondered to its purpose. For once their teacher was waiting to greet them, the familiar form of Miss Lariet standing in front of the stage, dressed in her flowery skirt with her strawberry blonde curls lingering around her head. Once they sat down, she clapped her hands together to draw their attention.

"Good afternoon, students! You might remember me as Miss Lariet and i'll be your combat teacher this year. In this class, we aim to build on your skills in combat school by focusing on singular combat and team based combat. The latter is extremely important as teamwork is one of the greatest weapons a huntsman has in his arsenal." She explained, her cheerful and bright personality a nice change up for Cedar after the gruffness of Golem and the lax attitude of Redwood. "And before we begin, i'd like to take this opportunity to introduce the school nurse, miss Valeria Gelb, who will be overseeing events to treat any possible injuries." she gestured to a woman beside her.

"Hello!" A bubbly voice rang around the hall as nurse Gelb stepped up beside miss Lariet. Cedar blinked in disbelief. Her attire was sure consistent with a nurse, button up white outfit with a red cross on the chest… but speaking of that chest, it was pretty ludicrous. Cedar was fairly certain he'd never seen a pair that ridiculously big before. It took a lot of willpower just to avoid staring at them whilst convincing himself she was some form of illusion or hallucination. "I'm nurse Gelb, i'll be taking care of you today! Don't fight too hard now." She cheered, her long blonde hair swaying slightly behind her. The class was collectively quiet, probably making the same assumptions that Cedar was.

"Now then." Miss Lariet returned their attention to her. "To start with, you're going to be paired up into one on one matches to get an idea of your strengths and weaknesses. We'll be using a randomiser for fairness. After that, i'll be working with each of you on what you need to improve on and your coordination." Miss Lariet crossed the circular area and moved behind the terminal, activating it. On the screen above her, two images appeared, profiles of every student in the class. The screen began to cycle through their images, Cedar spotting himself several times in the process. It soon stopped on two images and he recognised both. The first, Ozzy. The second was Terrance, the large boy Cedar remembered tripping him up.

"Alright!" Ozzy pumped his fist into the air. "Payback time, ya blonde buffoon!" Terrance too stood up, glaring at him as they both made their way to the arena, Ozzy putting on his boxing gloves he'd used in the exam and Terrance drawing his own weapon. It looked like a large hammer but it seemed to have a revolver chamber as a part of its head, something Cedar found interesting. On the screen beside their profiles, two aura gauges appeared. Around the arena, a crackling blue field formed around them, something Cedar could only guess was some kind of forcefield to protect the spectators from harm. The two students glared each other down, the tension between them thick and strong, enough so Cedar could feel it in the stands with the rest of the class.

"Standard tournament rules apply, you two. If your aura drops below 15%, you lose. If you are knocked out of the arena, you lose." She instructed them, both of them nodding in understanding. "Now, begin!"

Ozzy wasted no time, he bounded from foot to foot, rushing Terrance and going into a right hook punch. But Terrance blocked, holding his hammer horizontally as the head blocked the fist. Then he quickly countered, booting Ozzy in the stomach and knocking him backward. Then he followed up, bringing his hammer above his head and striking it down. Ozzy barely had time to dodge, bouncing to the boy's left as his hammer struck the ground with a mighty thud.

"Ya bloody punk!" Ozzy snapped at him, swinging at him again, only for Terrance to bring his hammer around into his stomach and send him skidding backward. Whilst he'd been pushed back, Terrance folded back the handle of his weapon and there was a sharp click as the hammer head revealed a hole, resting the weapon on his shoulder. He pulled on a trigger and from the hammer's hole, a missile soared out of it toward Ozzy. The copper haired boy realised what was coming and ran to get away. The missile struck the ground and exploded in a great flower of fire, knocking Ozzy from the force as the boy was sent sprawling on the ground, his aura going down by a decent chunk. Terrance turned on him and approached, switching his hammer back to its melee mode.

"Get up. I want to beat you down again." Terrance threatened. Cedar found that strange. He was winning, but he still seemed so angry. Ozzy leapt back to his feet, his vigor renewed. Winding up a punch, he threw his fist forward, only for the glove to come off his hand and fly at Terrace like a rocket. It struck the blonde boy in the face before Ozzy fired the other, scoring another hit, both gloves slipped back over his hands.

"Only beating happenin' today is yer sorry backside!" Ozzy taunted him, bouncing on the spot in a boxing stance. His opponent growled like a wild animal and rushed at him, swinging his hammer at his side. Ozzy this time managed to jump back in time, before leaping in for a right straight into Terrance's jaw. The blow rattled the blonde boy, staggering him enough that Ozzy could unleash a flurry of fast jabs, peppering his aura and evening the score. Coming to his senses, Terrance brought his hammer down in a diagonal strike. Ozzy countered with a roundhouse kick, knocking the hammer to one side and following up with a low blow to the stomach. Cedar noted the metal bracers on Ozzy's considerably big shoes having given him a stronger kick.

Terrance rushed at him, this time pulling the trigger on his weapon whilst in its melee mode, a jet of fire exploding out of its head as he swung the weapon, its speed suddenly doubled by the rocket going off inside. Ozzy blocked too late and was sent spinning by the surprisingly swift shot. Terrance grumbled as the hammer head opened, dropping the missile out with its boost depleted. Ozzy sprang back to his feet, still rife with energy. He bounded toward Terrance, raising his right fist to attack but just before he swung, he leapt up high and bounded over his opponent! Before Terrance could even realise what was going on, Ozzy landed and kicked him in the back, following up with two swinging blows from his fists, all of which knocked the blonde boy forward. Cedar was impressed at that acrobatic move, he'd never seen anyone jump higher than a person just from a short run up!

"How'd ya like that one, ya wazzock?" Ozzy taunted, bouncing on his feet with his fists up, still raring to go, whilst his opponent only seemed to be getting frustrated. He turned toward Ozzy, a white knuckled grip on his hammer as he held it ready. Fearless as ever, Ozzy bounded forward, leaping from foot to foot before he sprung up into a left hook, jumping for Terrance's face. But Terrance brought the hammer down first, purposefully missing his opponent, his aura crackling around him like electricity. His hammer struck the arena floor and the entire classroom shook as a mighty sonic explosion occured from the contact point, shockwaves ripping across the arena and sending his airborne opponent flying backward, clean out of the ring before he even knew what was happening. Cedar held his fluffy ears as his eardrums popped from the loud noise, the rest of the class reacting similarly.

"Ring out. Terrance Thunderhead wins." Miss Lariet said, the screen above her drawing a red X through Ozzy's picture and a small shower of confetti sprinkling over Terrance's picture. Ozzy was still sprawled at the arena side, a mix of annoyance and shock on his face. Terrance compacted his hammer, snorting at the sight of him.

"You fought well, Mr Thunderhead." Miss Lariet complimented him. "However, your need to remain more aware of your opponent's moves, he caught you off guard many times when you could have avoided a hit." He didn't seem to listen much and just returned to his seat, the teacher approaching Ozzy. "And you Mr Wattle, you were agile and scored many good hits, but you underestimated your opponent's strength numerous times and leapt right into his final attack. You need to be smart as well as fast in battle with another huntsman."

"Yeah yeah…" Ozzy grumbled, getting to his feet and returning to his seat. Cedar was taken aback by the entire spectacle, he'd thought both sides had been fighting pretty well. Then again, this was why Miss Lariet was the expert in all of this. Before he could further think about the fight, the screens began to show the images shifting again, picking the next two participants. Then they stopped. Cedar felt his heart sink slightly at the end result.

Stizza Hamelin vs Cedar Glade.


	7. V1C7: The Pecking Order, Part 2

**Volume 1**

Chapter 7: The Pecking Order, Part 2

Every step closer to the arena felt like taking a step into his own execution. Cedar's worry had become dread. Whilst he hadn't exactly seen Stizza in action, considering how calm he was in front of that Grimm, he'd been long suspecting he was one of the strongest students here. Cedar stood opposite him, the resplendent boy drawing what appeared to a be a sleek silver flute from a sheath and holding it sideways to his lips.

As Cedar drew his crossbow and slipped his goggles down over his eyes, he did all he could to analyse his opponent. He was tall and trim, he didn't look like someone who'd use brute strength like Terrance did. But he was also poised and measured, so he doubted he was as energetic as Ozzy was. The flute… was that his weapon? Cedar had heard a few times about certain huntsmen using musical instruments as weapons, but such a thing was supposed to be rare and tricky. Could he really have that degree of skill?

"Begin!" His thoughts were cut short as Miss Lariet began the battle and Stizza blew into his flute, a soft but quick series of notes rising into the air. To Cedar's horror, with the first note played, a sharp dart of silver energy shot from the end of the flute toward him, akin to a needle from a blow dart gun. He couldn't react fast enough and felt several sharp stabs to his aura as the needles riddled his form. Stizza took this as a cue to continue, playing another series of notes. This time Cedar took action and ran to his left to avoid the darts. He loaded a bolt into his crossbow and fired at Stizza.

A quick sidestep took Stizza out of danger as both of them circled the arena, firing at one another. Stizza's fingers danced up and down his flute, a light energetic tune filling the air and making it harder for Cedar to concentrate, unable to land a single shot on his opponent. He had to break the stalemate. Cedar loaded a fire bolt into his weapon and fired slightly ahead of Stizza, aiming for the floor where he was going. His bolt hit the ground and burst into a patch of licking flames, but the agile musician wasn't fooled. He'd changed course and was now headed straight for Cedar in a swift sprint, taking the flute away from his lips as Cedar spotted it elongating slightly and two sharp blades clicking out from either end. Cedar only just had time to slide his crossbow onto his arm and allow the sword blade to unsheathe before Stizza could attack.

Stizza's movements were impeccable, jabbing in swift sharp motions with his weapon. Cedar put up an attempt to block but it only lead to taking light hits, the quicker small blade slipping past his larger, clumsier weapon. Cedar's guard wasn't holding up and he knew he wasn't going to last this way, he had to attack! On Stizza's next jab, Cedar rolled to his right and used his sword in a clefting uppercut. Stizza blocked with the shaft of his weapon, the blade clashing with the metal of the flute. A thin smile played on Stizza's lips as he took one hand off his weapon, using it to push on Cedar's blade to knock it back, before grabbing his weapon and swinging it round so the blade struck the Faunus' face.

Cedar yelped, the pointed blade hitting a vital spot taking a toll on his aura. He backed up from Stizza, becoming increasingly nervous of his opponent. He had to gain some kind of advantage over him if he wanted to stand a chance. He was superior in close range and long range… but what about mid range? Maybe he could gain an advantage there? He had to try it and so changed his weapon back into its crossbow mode when Stizza rushed him, going for a sweeping left slash. Cedar leapt back to dodge and fired a bolt right at Stizza's chest. The musician swiftly dodged to the left, followed by a right movement on Cedar's next bolt. A third bolt and he dodged to the left once again, but on his fourth shot, Stizza fired a bolt containing electrical dust and fired downward. Stizza dodged to the right once again and the bolt hit his foot, zapping him with an electrical charge. Cedar felt a surge of confidence, he'd finally scored a proper hit!

What he hadn't expected was the change in Stizza's attitude. He held himself poised once again, but his eyes seemed to focus on him, glaring coldly at the intimidated Faunus. Just as Cedar prepared himself for another attack, Stizza began slowly stepping backwards. The further away he got, the harder he was to see until Cedar couldn't see him at all! He was invisible!

All of a sudden his superiority was gone, his opponent was lost to him. He found himself increasingly frantic, checking all around him for any signs of Stizzat, holding his weapon close and switching to melee mode. His ears flicked and tried to pick up any sound of his footsteps but there was nothing. The audience melted away and he forgot he was in a sparring match, right now he felt like he was standing in an open field with his assailant somewhere close by, stalking him and preparing to kill.

And then it happened. Cedar only felt it for a moment but knew what it meant. He'd lost. Stizza had re-appeared behind him and struck his weapon into the side of his neck, depleting his aura near instantly with such a critical hit on a surprised opponent. Cedar fell to his side and shivered, the fear ebbing out of him as the round ended.

"Mr Hamelin, i'm very impressed." Miss Lariet spoke to the masked boy as he slid his weapon back into his sheath. "Excellent technique, use of range and stealth. However, you need to be less predictable in your dodging, a more skilled opponent could easily take advantage of that."

"Thank you, miss Lariet." he said politely before he returned to his seat. She then turned to the bereft form of Cedar.

"Mr Glade, your swordsmanship is very lacking, you should have kept distance once your opponent proved more skilled up close. You tracking is also lacking in your shooting, any opponent faster than you will easily outmatch you." She was only being honest to him, but Cedar found it hard to take the criticism. Especially in front of the entire class. He picked himself up and walked back toward the seats. Well, that had been his plan anyway, but all of a sudden it hit him.

Their eyes. Everyone was looking at him, mixed looks of surprise, amusement and mocking mirth. Especially Silas, who was practically sneering with contempt at his pathetic performance. His emotions welled up inside him and Cedar suddenly felt short of breath, so aware of how everyone was judging him, mocking him in their heads. He couldn't take it, he knew what would happen. So he approached his seat, went straight past it and out through the classroom doors, not stopping until he was out of sight.

He could feel his aura flaring up, feel his power tugging at his soul as embarrassment and shame wrecked his system. He clutched onto his shirt, biting his lip and trying not to cry. He was better than this, damnit! He couldn't let this get to him! They couldn't see! He took deep breaths to try and calm himself, his foxy ears folded down as he leaned on the wall. He settled down a little, feeling sweat beading on his brow slightly... he was okay. His semblance hadn't gone off on its own… he was alright. He was calm.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" The soft voice startled him, spinning around to find the unmistakable figure of Nurse Gelb looking at him, though her bright smile had become a frown of concern.

"M-Miss Gelb! Uh, yes! Fine, thank you!" he lied, keeping his eyes focused on hers.

"Are you sure? You seemed very distraught." Gelb questioned. "Even first years don't tend to walk out after losing in a fight, and your aura was very strong too." Cedar felt ice in his blood, she'd seen right through him.

"N-no! That's just, um.. I was, uh… breathing…" he fumbled for an excuse, but the nurse wasn't having it.

"Cedar, is your semblance tied to your emotions?" Her question pierced his armour and exposed the truth. He sighed and nodded ashamedly. Gelb smiled at him. "Well there's no reason to be ashamed of it, sweetheart. It's perfectly natural for people your age. Tell you what, why don't you pop by my office after class and we can have a little chat about it?" Her smile was radiant and Cedar felt the ice melting in his body, making him think he could trust her.

"Um… yes, i'd like that." he nodded.

"Very good. Now, let's get you back in class, hm?" Gelb gestured toward the door and Cedar nodded, following her and slipping back in. He'd expected everyone to turn and look at him, but thankfully, two more students were fighting in the middle. When he sat back with his team, he realised Lariah was missing, no doubt she was fighting on the stage.

"So." Yasmin was the one who spoke to him, her eyes direct and her face a mixture of concern and suspicion. "Do you want to explain what that little stint was about?" Cedar felt under pressure right away.

"I, I just…" he sighed, finding it harder to lie after Gelb had seen through him so easily. "I was embarrassed. You saw what happened, I lost really bad…" Yasmin gave the slightest nod.

"I understand. It is hard to deal with losing to someone so skilled." by the tone in her voice, Cedar could tell she was speaking from experience. "But, my father would always tell me, you can learn far more from failure than victory. So if nothing else, take that from this first lesson, Cedar." She seemed like she wanted to say more, but returned to watching the fight. Cedar was glad she had just left it at that, he didn't want this awkward situation to become any more awkward.

Lariah seemed to be winning the fight, Cedar noticed her aura reserves were much higher than her opponents and she was handling her flail well, kicking the ball end and swinging it in arcing motions. But then her aura began to glow and she struck her foot to the floor. The arena began to glow slightly blue as Cedar noticed her opponent struggling to move. The Faunus recognised it as Lariah's gravity semblance, even looking at it made him feel sluggish. And as Lariah swung her weapon, Cedar noticed the spiked triggers pop out. One direct hit and the ball end seemed to explode, knocking her target down and reducing his aura to nothing. And he'd had at least 33% aura left before he got hit!

"K.O, Lariah Marine wins." Miss Lariet ended the fight and his copper haired teammate grinned with glee, reeling her weapon back in and helping her opponent up before Miss Lariet gave them both some advice. Then, it was time for the next round.

The first figure to show up on the rotor was Yasmin. A confident smile spread upon her lips. Her opponent was Candi Cotton and she seemed equally excited as both girls made their way down to the ring.

"Kick her butt, Candi!" Ozzy shouted from his seat, the pink haired girl giggling as she stood in the ring opposite Yasmin.

"I've been thinking about a fight with you since the Gauntlet." Yasmin admitted, opening her war fans in her dexterous fingers.

"Then let's put on a real show!" Candi agreed, drawing her pastel pink lance with its blue stripes and holding it pointed to Yasmin. The girls squaring down as the class watched on, curious as to who would come out on top.

"Begin!" The moment the match began, Candi's lance shot forward with her still clinging to it. Four small booster rockets around the end of the weapon were propelling her forward at great speed, her lance headed straight for Yasmin. But the Mistrallian girl was prepared for her sudden attack and swiftly sidestepped the rocketing girl.

"Don't think I forgot your little rocket lance." Yasmin smiled a little smugly, assuming Candi would simply fly out of the arena. But before she went over the edge, Candi's aura glowed and a bubble formed around her, spinning her around like a compass needle til she was pointed back toward Yasmin. Then the bubble burst and Candi rocketed towards her back, keeping her speed. Yasmin only just noticed in time and tried to throw herself out of the way, but the spike of the lance struck her in the side and sent her reeling, a hefty blow to her aura. Yasmin winced, internally chiding herself for letting her ego get in the way.

"Gotcha that time!" Candi grinned at her, the tip of her lance opening and a machine gun barrel poked out, opening fire on Yasmin. She started running, opening her fans whilst she was moving to block any incoming shots, before suddenly stopping and throwing one at Candi like a boomerang. Candi flicked her lance up to block the fan, allowing Yasmin to rush her and get close, catching her fan in mid air.

They engaged in close quarters combat, Yasmin's moves were sweeping, elegant strikes whilst Candi swatted with her lance in an attempt to block, but Yasmin's superior speed was taking control of the battle. She dashed around to Candi's left and struck her along her exposed side before dashing again around her back. This time Candi swept her lance around to clothesline her, catching Yasmin by surprise and knocking her down.

Yasmin hissed as she hit the ground, rolling to one side as Candi attempted to stab at her with her lance. She gained some distance and collapsed her fans into their pistol forms, firing off both at Candi. Candi responded by using her lance's rockets to fly up above, then using her semblance again to redirect herself and come down at Yasmin in a downward thrust.

But this time, Yasmin was ready and focused, dodging aside just as Candi hit the ground. Her lance's spike stabbed into the floor of the arena, leaving her stuck and defenceless and Yasmin was more than ready to capitalise on this opportunity. Her own aura glowed a bright yellow as she split herself into three copies and each began whaling on Candi with more sweeping, beautiful strikes with her copies dancing around her. Candi's aura was reduced down to nothing in only a few seconds as the poor girl could do nothing to defend herself.

"K.O, Yasmin Ginshi wins." Miss Lariet announced, Yasmin collapsing her fans and bowing to the audience. Then to her opponent.

"You were a surprising opponent. It was an honour to face you." Yasmin complimented her. Candi beamed in response.

"You too! That was so cool how you move with your weapons!" she complimented as the two went back to their seats.

"Alright, that's all we've got time for today, class. We'll be continuing thes rounds next time so keep training in your own time. Class dismissed." she finished as the bell went and the students began to file out one by one. Cedar trailed behind his team, still feeling a little uneasy about the whole affair.

"Cmon Cedar, don't worry about it." Lariah nudged him as they walked together. "It was just your first combat class, it's nothing too important!"

"I know… I just felt bad when I got beaten so easy. I'm sorry if I worried you guys." Cedar's ears lowered slightly.

"Well y'did have us a trifle worried." Isaac agreed. "But the girls're right, s'no big deal."

"Keep telling yourself that." Someone else spoke up as Cedar spun to see Silas walking beside them, a slight smile on his face.

"Now whaddya mean by that?" Lariah fixed him with an uncertain look.

"Don't you know the more important side to combat classes like this?" Silas asked rhetorically. "It determines the social hierarchy of the school, based on how strong you are. The pecking order." He explained, Cedar feeling another sliver of ice forming in his veins. "And at a guess, you just slipped right to the bottom, pal."

"Now that's a load'a garbage." Isaac frowned, shaking his head. "No-one cares that much bout trainin' matches like that."

"Oh, sure, maybe they don't…" Silas shrugged his shoulders, but a razor thin smile played on his lips. "But after that little performance, I wouldn't be surprised if people start using you for target practice. Heck, I feel sorry for you." and with that he walked on ahead, leaving Cedar unsure and worried.

"Creep." Yasmin hissed. "Trying to knock down someone's confidence like that." and Cedar hated to admit it, but it had worked.

"...um, guys? I need to go somewhere, you go on without me." He really needed to go and see Nurse Gelb right now, he felt a need to talk to someone who he didn't mind spilling a secret to. Not to his team, not after their great performances today.

"Hm? Well alright Cedar, we're gon' go have dinner. Seeya in the room?" Isaac offered him a patient smile and the Faunus couldn't help but feel a little bad about what he was keeping from them.

"Yeah, right…" he turned and headed for the nurse's office before he could spill anything else to them, feeling their worried gazes watching his back.

The nurse's office wasn't too hard to find, close to the teacher's lounge. When he entered, a slight floral smell wafted over him. The walls of the office were painted a light cream colour, welcoming with the sun shining onto it through the window. There were several medical beds with dividing curtains and a nurse station where the familiar bouncy blonde nurse was seated, going over some files. Other various pieces of medical equipment he could see strewn around the office. The door was open but Nurse Gelb had yet to notice him so Cedar decided to be polite and knocked first.

"Oh!" The nurse spun to look at him. "Cedar, hello! Please come right in, sit down." Cedar did as she asked, sitting opposite her. The nurse turned to him and smiled at him. "So then. Are you ready to talk about your semblance?" A question Cedar was still unsure about. He'd come here to do just that but could he really open up to her? No, he had to. He needed to get this off his chest. After today, he'd need to learn to get his semblance under control if he wanted to become a better huntsman.

"Yes." Cedar nodded. "But, I don't want to actually say what my semblance is."

"That's fine." Gelb nodded with an understanding smile. "Why don't you start by telling me what causes your semblance to go off on its own?" Cedar nodded, taking a moment to mentally prepare himself.

"I think the first time it happened to me was back during combat school." he began, settling in his chair as those memories came flooding back. "I used to get picked on a lot because, you know." he pointed to the fox ears on his head and nurse Gelb frowned.

"That's terrible. But please, continue." Just from that alone, Cedar got the inclination that this wasn't the first time the nurse had been spoken to about Faunus being bullied.

"It happened a lot and… I kinda just started learning to run away from it." Cedar omitted one or two details. "But then one day, they cornered me and emptied a trash can over me. And… they took photos and shared it with the school." Cedar winced at the memory, he could practically smell the rotten stench of all the rubbish just thinking about it, hear their mocking laughter at his misfortune. "And that was the first time my semblance activated, right in front of them."

"So, your semblance is tied to embarrassment and shame?" Nurse Gelb summarised and Cedar nodded in response.

"I just don't understand why it had to happen this way." Cedar groaned, putting his head in his hands. "Why couldn't I just discover it on my own?"

"Well you see." Gelb began to explain. "A semblance will often form from a great moment of emotion, be it positive or negative. Because your semblance manifested in a negative semblance, you've built a connection between it and that moment. That's why it happens." She finished with a bright smile. "So the easiest way to break this connection is to practice it on your own. You need to recall the memory and over time, you'll start to lose the emotional connection." Cedar wasn't sure if he could do that. He still didn't want his team to see his semblance, not yet anyway. Could he find a place to be wholly alone to practice it?

"I guess I can try to do that." Cedar got out of his seat. "Thank you, miss Gelb."

"No problem sweetheart. Make sure you come back to me if you need me." her chipper attitude finally brightened Cedar's spirits, getting the emotional weight off his chest at last being able to admit it to someone. He stepped out of the nurse's office and was about to head to the canteen, before his scroll rang.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hey Cedar, are you coming? We're almost finished in here." Lariah replied.

"Oh right. Sure, i'll be there in just a second." Cedar hung up and went right for the cafeteria. He could see it was still pretty full once he arrived, dinner served up on all the tables. He felt a surge of confidence as he stepped through the door, eager to join his team.

And it was at that precise moment that the trash can was emptied onto him.

Unbeknownst to Cedar, someone had been hiding behind him with a trash can taken from the cafeteria and now the contents were covering him. That horridly familiar smell of garbage hit his nostrils, globs of gravy, leftover chunks of meat, potatoes, noodles and more covered him from head to toe, soaking through his hair and his clothes. He was so shocked it took him a few moments to realise what was happening…

Then the laughing started.

Most of the cafeteria exploded into laughter seeing the Faunus covered in half eaten food and scraps, standing there looking oh so silly. Cedar felt his ears drop, the nauseating cocktail of stinking rubbish and the bellowing laughter mixed so perfectly, reminding him of that time he'd spoken to the nurse about. It was too much, forcing him down on his knees as tears stung his eyes. He could feel it, his aura was glowing a verdant green, the emotional connection was strong and his semblance was going off. He couldn't stop it. He'd been utterly overwhelmed.

And then and there, in front of all his peers, Cedar suddenly and completely vanished.


	8. V1C8: Out Of Sight

**Volume 1**

Chapter 8: Out Of Sight

It was hard to know what to feel when a member of your team suddenly vanishes without a trace. It was hard to even react in any way outside of complete shock. And when Yasmin saw her garbage covered Faunus teammate disappear in a instant, she was stunned. It had taken their team a moment or two to notice Cedar entering and the horrible trick carried out on him, the raucous laughter making her writhe in her seat in irritation, feeling a need to choke that little weasel Silas who was laughing amidst his team, sans Terrance. But her thoughts turned from that when quiet returned to the cantina and everyone simply looked confused.

The first obvious explanation was Cedar had used his semblance to escape somehow. But in such an open space and in such a way Yasmin honestly couldn't trace, that seemed a little unusual. There was also the possibility that what happened to him was someone else's semblance and considering that someone was targeting her team for pranks, she wouldn't put it past them. The rest was a mystery. Maybe it was just something Yasmin or anyone else there could comprehend.

What they did comprehend was that their teammate had just been humiliated in front of his classmates and had vanished. She was worried for his safety and furious at the culprit, getting to her feet alongside her team.

"Where did he go?!" Lariah said what they were all thinking, her face a painting of horror.

"Tarnation…" Isaac frowned, shifting the trash can aside only to find no signs of Cedar.

"I think Cedar may have a semblance after all. He may have just used it to run away." Yasmin said, checking through anything that remained, any clue that might help them despite the foul stench.

"Y'think he lied to us?" Isaac looked slightly offended at such a suggestion.

"It is possible." Yasmin nodded.

"That's not important right now!" Lariah shouted. "What matters is he's gone! We need to look for him!"

"Alright, alright. Calm down." Yasmin looked at her emotional teammate. She was right though, they could talk about him possibly having a semblance later.

"Lets split up." Isaac commandeered their little operation. "Check around the area and nearby places, n'try an' call his scroll too." The three agreed and headed off to search the school, Isaac checking around the assembly hall and Lariah going down the corridor toward the library. Yasmin checked around the gym whilst calling Cedar's scroll. No answer. So either he couldn't or he wouldn't answer, Yasmin thought as she checked the changing rooms. Still no luck.

Then, something obvious hit her. If Cedar were going to run off somewhere, the most obvious place he'd go was their dorm room. And none of them had checked that yet. With a slight sigh of disappointment in her own abilities, she raced upstairs, taking the stairs two at a time to reach their dorm room.

Opening the door, Yasmin found a seemingly empty room. She began checking it over, looking in the ensuite bathroom, in the wardrobe, under the beds… but as she checked under Cedar's bed, she heard something. It was quiet but it sounded like soft sobbing. And it was coming from Cedar's covers. At a glance there was nothing strange about his bed. On closer inspection however, she spied a little lump underneath the covers of his bed that seemed to be moving slightly. She decided to investigate, pulling the covers back and gasping at the sight she saw beneath.

It was Cedar. Or what looked like him at least. He was around a tenth of his normal height, standing around maybe six inches tall, curled up and sobbing under the covers. His eyes glanced up fearfully at Yasmin as her shadow loomed over him.

"So here you are." Yasmin was thankful she'd found him at least and seeing him in such a state, she had a pretty good idea what his semblance was. "I won't ask if you're alright, because it's fairly apparent you're not." Cedar nodded slightly, rubbing his eyes. Yasmin sighed and rested her arms on the bed, chin resting on her hands so she could be at eye level with her tiny teammate. "I'm so sorry, Cedar. That was a terrible thing to happen to you." It took the Faunus a while before he sat up and began to speak.

"Who… who did it?" Was all he could manage. Yasmin sighed slightly.

"We don't know. It was hard to see if anyone was behind you." Cedar looked away in despair.

"...guess everyone knows now." He said sadly, referring to his semblance. Yasmin just nodded slightly and it only elicited a whimper from the little Faunus.

"Why did you hide this from us?" Yasmin said with a slight frown. "Did you not trust us?"

"No, that's not it!" Cedar snapped indignantly before reeling it back a bit. "It's… it's just…" he then looked away again in shame. He confessed everything to her, explaining how he'd been bullied and how embarrassment triggered his semblance. Yasmin listened quietly, growing to understand her teammate's position and why it had gone off in the cantina. When he was finished, Cedar couldn't look her in the eye, his fox ears lowered atop his head. "I didn't want any of you to know I had such a useless semblance. Make myself a burden for all of you guys…" The Faunus whimpered again and Yasmin could see the tears were flowing once again, making a wet patch on the bed.

"You only made yourself a burden when you kept this to yourself." Yasmin broke through his sadness with such a direct comment, but she knew she had to get through to him. The Faunus was shocked, looking up at his teammate. "My father used to say to me, that a semblance is only as worthless as the user makes it. And those who do not trust their teammates have only themselves to blame when they fall in battle." Then she shared a sympathetic smile with him. "I understand, Cedar. It was embarrassing and it's hard to come to terms with. But right now, you're allowing this problem to get the best of you. That is you choosing to make yourself a burden." She stood up to her full height and folded her arms. "...but if you're willing to try and actually tame this problem, I will be there to help you."

"And we will, too!" they were both surprised by the sudden entrance of Lariah, with Isaac not far behind. Cedar shrank back a little, seeing all three of his teammates together and looking down at him. But there was no anger, no concern, no betrayal on their faces. Only smiles.

"When did you two get here?" Yasmin looked at them in surprise.

"Jus' arrived. Heard the gist of watcha were sayin'." Isaac explained, glancing down at Cedar. "Never would'a guessed Cedar could squirrel himself away like that."

"He's…" Lariah looked down at him. "So…" she edged closer. "...CUTE!" She suddenly beamed, her eyes wide with wonder as Cedar just stared back at her.

"Do… you guys really mean it? Even after I lied to you?" His fox ears raised once again, a smidgen of hope returning to his voice.

"O' course." Isaac nodded. "We're a team, gotta support each other, I reckon."

"We sure do." Lariah agreed. "We'll help you Cedar!" Yasmin said nothing, she just smiled in satisfaction at their timing and how her partner was cheering up. This issue was wrapping itself up quite nicely.

"You guys…" Cedar looked amazed and happier than ever. As if to prove this, his aura glowed a verdant green and he began to grow, returning to his normal height and still seated on the bed. His sadness was washing away and he was starting to feel comfortable around his teammates. He'd been doubting them all week and now here they were sticking up for him after having his secret revealed. He almost felt silly for doubting them now. "Thank you. All of you. I promise, I won't keep secrets like that anymore." a surge of confidence rose within him as he curled his hands into fists and smiled with pride. "And i'll tame my semblance, no matter how bad it is!"

"Now that's more like it." Yasmin smiled at him, ruffling his hair slightly as his fox ears flittered. "But for now, we should discuss our other issue."

"The pranksters?" Lariah asked, earning a quiet nod from Yasmin. She showed Cedar a picture of him with the trash can dumped over him, a caption reading "Where he belongs" underneath it. This time the uploader was anonymous.

"There were so many students in the hall, anyone could have taken this picture." Yasmin frowned at the sight of it. "But someone got Cedar from behind…"

"I was called, too." Cedar said, holding up his own scroll. "Lariah called and asked me to come to the canteen."

"Wha? No I didn't." Lariah shook her head vehemently. This led Yasmin to a conclusion.

"Someone is imitating our voices to trick us. And they seem to be targeting our team." She explained, a hand to her chin.

"Why would they target us?" Cedar asked, fearing him being a Faunus had something to do with it. "Did we do something to earn this?"

"We can ask them ourselves when we catch them." Yasmin said abruptly, drawing her teammates attention. "If they have decided we are victims, then we must fight back. I couldn't call myself the daughter of the Ginshi clan if I allowed hooligans to torment my teammates in such a horrid manner." A strong aura of determination and pride surrounded Yasmin as she spoke, inspiring Cedar just from her strong declaration.

"So, we gotta find'a way to catch these varmints." Isaac began to say. "Now, I reckon if they're targetin' our team, then they're prolly goin' after Yasmin or Lariah next. And this time when they do, we're gon' catch em." He seemed very sure of himself and from the others' faces, Yasmin knew they were just as determined. Their first act as a team would be to stop this serial prankster… not too lofty of a goal, but it was something.

* * *

The team decided they'd put their plan into action the next day and spent the night discussing how they would do it. Cedar felt invigorated as they talked late into the night, hopeful even. He knew he'd have to face the rest of his classmates, but if he could first unmask these bullies, he'd feel all the better about it. So, when the new day began, he walked into the cantina with his head held high. Even with some of the snickers and jeers of some of his classmates, with his team at his side, Cedar felt impervious to their mocking. The members of team TORC were kind enough to ask how they were doing and offered some sympathy, Candi even offering Cedar her 'emergency donut' as she called it, for his well being. And that was the first time Cedar had a donut for breakfast.

They had a free period that morning, so Cedar decided to spend it in the library reading some books, losing himself in a teen fantasy titled 'Children of Grimm'. But whilst he was reading, his scroll began to buzz. It was a call from Lariah.

"It's Yasmin." she answered once Cedar picked up. "She got a call from Martin to meet her at the back end of the school."

"Right, i'll get moving." Cedar replied, hanging up and putting his book back. The prankster was about to strike once again and this time, team ICYL were going to stop him.

Cedar arrived on the scene behind the school, near to the cliffside facing the ocean. There was a small fence to stop people falling off the cliff and what looked like a tool shed perched next to it. Maybe it was for groundskeeping, he wondered. But that wasn't important, what was important was that Yasmin was there, standing around and waiting. Cedar knew the rest of his team was close by, ready to pounce… but the prankster had yet to show up. He crouched down low, hiding beside the wall of the academy in its shadow, trying to be as still and quiet as possible. The seconds stretched by for what felt like hours as they laid in wait.

Then, Cedar spied something behind the toolshed. It was a figure wearing a hoodie and with something obscuring his face. He had a slingshot in hand and a water balloon set in it, about to fire it on Yasmin! Cedar had to act fast!

"Yasmin! Tool shed!" he shouted, emerging from cover just as the balloon went shooting through the air towards his teammate. Yasmin caught a glimpse of the incoming projectile and skillfully ducked under it, the balloon splattering against the wall behind her with a coloured liquid. Then she turned on the tool shed to see the figure.

Cedar ran forward as he spied Lariah leaping at the guy behind the shed. He dodged back just in time, only for Isaac to emerge and lunge for him, the figure ducking and dodging to his left. Now it was Cedar's turn as he full on rugby tackled him from behind, grabbing him by the hips to pull him down to the ground face first. He heard a grunt underneath the mask the guy was wearing and Cedar winced slightly, feeling pain at his shins.

"Pin him!" Lariah rushed to pin him down whilst Cedar struggled to hold onto the masked guy's legs. Just as Lariah came down with her elbow first, the figure flashed for a brief moment and then, he was gone, leaving only a puff of smoke! Lariah yelped as she hit the ground elbow first and winced, having hit her funny bone.

"Where'd he…?" Cedar began to say before the figure appeared to their left, jumping to his feet. Cedar happened to spy the strange pumpkin mask covering his face, cheap and plastic like something for halloween. He began running toward the school grounds, Isaac standing in his way.

"Y'ain't goin' nowhere." Isaac stood ready for him, arms open wide. The figure looked set to run right into him, but turned into smoke as Isaac swung his arms in an attempted bearhug. Then they re-appeared behind him, running off and out of reach.

"Consarnit! Slippery lil' devil…" Isaac muttered in failure as the team regrouped.

"Well, that was a bust." Cedar frowned, seeing some scuff marks on his shins from his tackle. "How are we supposed to catch him if he can just do that?"

"Maybe.. With a vacuum? He turned into smoke, right?" Lariah glanced around the group and found three skeptical faces staring back. "It was just an idea!"

"I think we're all missing something important." Yasmin smiled a little slyly. "Our tormentor just revealed his semblance to us. That wasn't dust or some magic trick, he expended aura to avoid capture." She folded her arms with a sense of triumph. "All we need to do now is find out who has that semblance."

"How? Do we just ask people?" Cedar looked at Yasmin and she shook her head.

"No, the culprit can simply choose not to reveal his semblance. We need some more concrete evidence." Yasmin spoke with a certain gravitas that reminded Cedar of a police officer or a detective off television. He wondered if Yasmin was used to this kind of situation.

"So do we need to get a video of him doing it or something?" Lariah asked with an empty blink, a touch lost. Cedar felt her pain.

"Not as such. I have a much easier idea." Yasmin looked at her teammates one by one. "We're going to check the student medical records. Semblances are recorded on each student's profile. All we have to do is check them until we find our culprit."

"But aren't the medical records confidential? Isn't it like, a breach of security if we do that?" Lariah asked, clearly worried at the idea of doing something like that.

"Only if we're caught." Yasmin chuckled again, her devilish side showing like the shadow of the moon. "We just need someone short and cute enough to distract a certain nurse, whilst someone else checks the files. Someone whose semblance could allow him to check through many at once."

"Yer referrin' ta me, aren'tcha?" Isaac caught on to her idea and folded his arms, a look of concern on his usually stoic face. "It's mighty troublesome, Yasmin. I want this feller caught as much as y'all do, but not at risk of us gettin' expelled too."

"There's no other way we can find this information short of asking him." Yasmin held her ground firmly. "Either we find the information or we make baseless accusations. Sometimes you just have to play dirty." The motion remained uncertain with their team. Isaac looked especially troubled, hand on his chin and the brim of his hat shading his eyes. Lariah was scratching her head and idly playing with her ponytail, unsure of what to make of it all. And Cedar? His head was buzzing with bad scenarios that could play out from them reading confidential medical records. But some of that spirit was still burning inside of him. He'd gotten over his insecurity around his team, they'd chosen to trust in him, especially Yasmin. Now maybe it was his turn to trust in her?

"...I think we should do it." Cedar finally spoke out. "Yasmin's right. This is the only way we can shut this down for good." Isaac and Lariah looked to Cedar in surprise. In Lariah, he felt he'd shared a little confidence, whilst Isaac remained more quietly cautious.

"I guess we might as well then… as a team!" Lariah pumped her fist, spirit renewed. Isaac sighed slightly.

"Well, s'one against three I reckon… alright. But we do it as a team." And they all shared in that sentiment. They drew closer and started forming a plan, talking quietly just in case any of the would be pranksters was listening to them. Cedar was smiling all the way through it. It was hard not to feel like you belonged on a team when you were risking safety together like this, for a common goal.

* * *

"So you fell and scraped your shins?" Nurse Gelb asked, Cedar sliding up his jeans to show the wounds on his legs. Isaac had come in with him and was idly glancing around the room, having sat himself behind Gelb.

"Yes ma'am. I-it's not too bad, but I was worried it might get infected." Cedar smiled as honestly as he could for her, trying not to look at Isaac who was waiting for an opportune moment.

"So, did you think about what I told you?" Gelb asked him whilst she dabbed his wounds with a wet piece of cotton wool.

"I um…" it was hard to tell her his semblance had gone off in front of a crowd, but he had to keep her attention. "Yes, I have. And after it kind of went off accidentally in the cafeteria, i'm going to try and learn how to control it, even if it is worthless."

"That's a bit better." Gelb smiled, continuing her work. "It'd help to have a positive attitude as well, sweetheart. But just learning to control it is a good start."

"Thank you." Cedar smiled slightly, briefly glimpsing Isaac sliding open the drawer of a filing cabinet. "U-um, which of the teachers do you think would be best to help me learn how to control it?"

"Hmm… i'm not sure." Gelb tapped her chin slightly. "Miss Rhoswen is good in combat, so she could probably help you a lot. But Mr Redwood is also really calm and good with his emotions, so he might also help you." Gelb then beamed at him. "Maybe you could just see both of them!" Cedar chuckled slightly, then winced as Gelb put a plaster over one of his cuts to help it heal up.

"I guess I could." Cedar nodded. Isaac still wasn't done, he had to keep her talking! "S-so miss Gelb, um, what did you do before you became a nurse here?" That should get her talking for a bit, he thought.

"Oh!" the nurse smiled. "Well, I went to school at Beacon as a huntress first. I was support for my team and we graduated together. After that, I went to medical school when I saw how few field nurses there were for huntsmen. I trained and graduated there, then I was a field nurse for a few years." she explained it all with the happiest of smiles on her face, until she moved to the next part, where her smile began to waver. "And after some years working in the field, I decided I needed a more stable and safe position to work from. So I applied for Lustre Academy about two years ago." Just from idle listening, Cedar got the impression there was more to this story and decided to press her a little bit.

"Was working in the field hard?" He asked her, the nurse having finished with his wounds and now was sitting back in her chair, toying with a strand of blonde hair.

"A little… sometimes i'd have to heal huntsmen mid fight for all the Grimm they were dealing with. Helping pull civilians out of wreckage, all whilst under the pressure of attack… It could certainly be quite, hectic." she looked at the ceiling as she trailed off, perfectly timed with Isaac giving Cedar a thumbs up as he slid the drawer closed.

"Thanks Nurse Gelb, I feel much better." Cedar got to his feet. "I'll see you later!" he made a swift exit with Isaac, leaving the nurse to ponder their odd behaviour.

Once the team were back in their dorm room, all eyes were on their leader to tell them what he'd discovered. Isaac had been smart enough to take pictures of the student files so they could go through them at their leisure rather than risking being caught in the nurse's office. They scrolled through pictures one by one, checking the name of the student and then their semblance. They went through everybody, even team TORC, fearing the absolute worst just in case. There were one or two cases where the semblance was marked as 'unknown' or 'none' which Cedar also happened to be a part of. He winced slightly in memory of his lie.

Then, just as they were about to reach the last picture, they finally spotted it. A semblance named 'Puff of smoke' and a description claiming that the user would vanish into smoke, only to reappear seconds later. The exact semblance the mysterious prankster had used on them. They all glanced up at the name and shared a collective moment of surprise at the culprit's name.

The top of the file was marked, Remus Fogg.


	9. V1C9: Out Of Mind

**Volume 1**

Chapter 9: Out Of Mind

They had their target. They had their evidence. They had everything they needed to confront Remus. Now all they needed was an opportunity to confront him and end his wicked ways.

But it would have to wait a while. They had history class soon as the sun began to sink over the school. Team ICYL had split up to avoid suspicion from Remus for the time being and Cedar was headed to class by himself. But as he turned a corner, he found himself colliding with a yellow shape that resembled a human being. Both parties were staggered and Cedar cursed the habit of bumping into people.

"Sorry!" Squeaked the yellow shape which Cedar soon identified as April Showers, a member of team STAR, clad in her raincoat as usual.

"No no, it was my fault, I didn't look where I was going!" Cedar insisted. He just couldn't seem to stop causing problems for this girl.

"No, really, it was my fault." April insisted. After some more back and forth over who was responsible, they decided to share the blame and call it quits. During their chat, Cedar noticed the girl's hood had come down thanks to their collision and what cascaded out was a bright collection of rainbow locks, a spectrum of colour around her head The Faunus was a little mesmerised by the sight of it. He'd always admittedly had a soft spot for girls with uniquely coloured hair, but he'd never seen a girl with an entire rainbow on her head, he found it exotic and pretty. April seemed to disagree as she followed his eyes and realised her hood was down, quickly pulling it back over and covering her head.

"You have… amazing hair." Cedar finally spoke up and smiled at her. April shivered and went a little red in the face.

"N-no… it's n-not." April vehemently disagreed, which made Cedar increasingly curious.

"You don't like it? Then why do you dye it?" he asked, assuming her hair colour wasn't natural… then again, he could be wrong. She looked away from him for a moment before responding.

"M-my mom, she had the id-dea… to help me make friends in school. And now I, j-just kinda keep it this way." She sighed slightly. "E-everyone thought I just wanted attention…"

"Well I think it looks amazing, really eye catching." Cedar assured her. "And just imagining the work you must put into dyeing it? That's pretty cool too." He wasn't aware how April seemed to be growing more embarassed, it was just something he'd been thinking about ever since catching a glimpse of those silken strands under her hood.

"I… I um…" April shook slightly, unsure how to answer. So she didn't, in fact she just took off running down the hall. "I'm sorry!" she cried back to him as she ran. Cedar frowned slightly as she left, wondering what set her off like that. Maybe she just took compliments really badly, he thought.

A little walking later and he wound up in class, sitting down with his team. He couldn't help but occasionally glance over to Remus Fogg with his team. Their tormentor was sat there looking bored and idle, like a thief in a crowd. Cedar couldn't help but scowl in his direction.

"Good morning, my faithful scholars!" His angry thoughts were interrupted by the chipper professor in tweed. "I hope you're all ready for another lesson packed with history, because we've got something veeeeery interesting to look at today!" As before, Saccharo looked extremely enthusiastic, beaming brightly as he strode in front of his antique desk. Cedar hoped he'd be able to feel some of that enthusiasm and forget about Remus for a little while.

"So!" Saccharo put his hands on his hips. "Today we're going to be looking into what will be your first proper case study for this term. And our topic will be, The Great War." Cedar's fox ears perked up slightly. "Let's start simple. Who can tell me how long ago the Great War began?"

"Oi oi! 80 years ago!" Ozzy shouted out without raising his hand, prompting a sigh from Saccharo.

"Not quite, Oswald. It was 80 years ago the war ended." Saccharo chided him and the copper haired boy grumbled in annoyance. Then his team leader raised his hand.

"Sir." Martin spoke out. "It was in fact 90 years ago the war began."

"Very good, Martin." Saccharo addressed him. "The war indeed began 90 years ago and lasted for 10 years, therefore it ended 80 years ago, hence the confusion." He patrolled in front of the room. "Now, the war itself has many interesting aspects we'll be going into as we study it this term. But for our first session, I decided to start on something interesting. Namely, the first recorded hunter team!" the entire class seemed to perk up at that mention and noticing that, Saccharo pressed the button to advance the projector. An image of four silhouetted figures appeared.

"This, my young scholars, is team Prime (PRME). The first recorded band of hunters in Remnant." Saccharo was brimming with pride. "Whilst the act of hunting Grimm most definitely existed before them, due to their interference in the Great War and their legendary stature, they have been marked in history as the first official team." He clicked the button on his device and the first silhouette revealed a man's figure, dressed in a green and blue coat, a feathered cap upon his head and a pair of flintlock hatchets in hand.

"This man was the team's leader, Phelan Gormuaine, also nicknamed 'the first huntsman' or even 'the green knight' for his choice of apparel and his relation to Vale." Saccharo began to explain, the image changing to a sketch of a castle. "Phelan was once a knight of the King of Vale before the time of war. He was a scout and ranger for his lord. So naturally, when word spread that Mantle and Mistral forces had landed and engaged local citizens, Phelan was sent to help them." Saccharo changed the image on the board to that of a map, showing how far he travelled. "Phelan served alongside Vale soldiers, until the battle of Last Bastion, where Phelan seemed to disappear. He would re-appear a month later leading his new team, become a neutral force in the war."

Cedar leaned forward slightly, wondering what would drive a man to defect from his own kingdom during such an important time.

"Phelan is one of the greatest influences on the modern technique of combatting Grimm. A swift, agile style which trumped the slower, heavier forces of old in terms of facing down our dark predators. And it was also the first instance of the huntsman weapon, as you see here." Saccharo pointed to the flintlock hatchets Phelan was wielding. "But, where did he acquire such a marvelous piece of weaponry? The second member of team Prime, one Rufus Wayland." The second silhouette phased away to reveal a red headed individual, clad in rough hewn armour and with an eyepatch.

"Wayland as in, the Wayland smithing legacy, sir?" Martin spoke up out of nowhere, excitement written across his face and excitement sparking in his eyes.

"Quite so, though please do raise your hand!" Saccharo reminded the boy. "Rufus was a legendary blacksmith from Vacuo, forging some of the greatest weapons in history, and he is the father of the original hunter weapon design in combining a firearm with a handheld weapon. Even now, his designs are the founding for our modern work! And one of the greatest ironies is, it was Mantle's own weaponry that gave Rufus the idea!" Saccharo continued to explain, showing pictures of ancient sketches and blueprints in the same distinct style, often featuring a crude hammer shaped logo in the corner. "As history tells us, Rufus and Phelan met by chance in their travels and spoke into the night about the plights of their kingdoms, and how they came to an agreement that all sides had forgotten their true enemies. The Grimm."

"Sir." Yasmin now put her hand up and Saccharo pointed to her. "Is that why they chose to go against the kingdoms and instead focus on the Grimm?"

"Yes, miss Ginshi!" Saccharo clapped gleefully. "Their meeting was the foundation of their ideals, not to fight the people, but to fight the Grimm instead. And for such an endeavour, they'd need not only skill and weaponry, but the tactics and intelligence to direct their actions! And that leads us to the third member of team Prime!" The third silhouette revealed a beautiful woman dressed in yellow, a blunderbuss with a mace head leaning on her shoulder. Cedar noticed her eyes seemed particularly sharp in the sketch.

"This is Mellyn Fernanda. Known by history as 'The First Huntress' or 'The Wise Princess.' She arrived with the forces from Mistral as a scholar, intending to study the culture of Vale during the war and aid her forces. She was an incredible strategist and responsible for many achievements in her home kingdom, such as the defeat of the Ryu Gang." Saccharo explained, showing handwritten notes on the board signed with her name. "But the more she saw, the more she realised how futile and pointless the war was, seeing her comerades fall on the battlefield when the Grimm arrived to pick at the remains. This drove her to seek out the growing legend of Phelan, shadowing him in order to study his ideals and movements. And in her study, she became captivated with him." another click of the device, showing sketches of Phelan drawn by Mellyn.

"Were they romantically involved, sir?" Yasmin asked after raising her hand, a slight smirk on her face.

"Haha! Some historians believe so." Saccharo chuckled. "But there's no actual evidence as to any form of relationship beyond a professional one. And what history does tell us is how Mellyn improved team Prime's tactical motions, allowing them to defeat entire armed platoons between the three of them, Mellyn herself becoming quite the star of the battlefield. Her tactics continue to be adhered to today. Have any of you heard of the phrase 'Fernanda's spear'?" The class seemed mostly quiet, until Stizza raised his hand.

"A battle tactic involving pushing through the enemy's center line first, then splitting apart to attack their flanks from within." the masked boy answered.

"Very good, Mr Hamelin!" Saccharo said, impressed. "Yes, that battle tactic was originally championed by Mellyn herself, during the battle of Verdanis Field against the armies of Mantle and Vale." Then he moved onto the final silhouette, revealing a Faunus, to Cedar's surprise, dressed in ragged attire, a pair of rabbit ears sticking out of her hair and a pair of revolvers in hand.

"The final member of team Prime is miss Eden Ivory, also known as 'The Faunus Martyr.' She was a slave working under the employ of the Mantle army, along with many other Faunus at the time, to be simple labour, or on occasion, to be bartered and sold to others." Saccharo looked grim as he spoke and Cedar felt a sense of disgust welling in his stomach. He'd studied up on the history of Faunus a little bit before but not to this extent. The idea his kind, people like him, were once enslaved and sold like they were objects, it almost made him sick. He wasn't alone either, he could see Brock trembling amidst his team and Ozzy putting an arm around him in comfort.

"However, after their platoon failed a raid on a nearby camp, team Prime drove them out and freed the Faunus who were enslaved there. But miss Ivory begged to stay by team Prime's side, citing a want of purpose outside of her life of slavery." Saccharo continued to explain. "Despite the stigma at the time, she was allowed to work alongside them and quickly became their scout and fast response, learning that her speed was akin to that of a wild hare. Her image continued to inspire Faunus to this day for the one who worked in equality to the three human heroes of history and her incredibly speed and accurate shooting has yet to be topped." Now the full image was complete of team Prime on the board. Cedar stared in awe of them.

"In the final days of the war, team Prime remained outside of the great final conflict with the King of Vale and only involved themselves once the Grimm turned up. And even after that, they bowed to him. They were present during the talks of the Vytal treaty and helped set the image huntsmen and huntresses would be trained in." Saccharo provided a sketch done of the treaty meeting, many important figures there, including team Prime and the king of Vale himself. "Afterwards, they continued their work across Remnant, hunting Grimm for the good of the newly unionised kingdoms." Amidst Saccharo's explanations, Cedar raised his hand. Something had clicked in his head.

"Sir, the statues in the courtyard. Are they?" he didn't even get a chance to finish before Saccharo interrupted.

"Yes indeed, Cedar! That statue was built in the likeness of team Prime! You've a good eye, noticing that!" Saccharo then turned back to the board in a somewhat more grim tone. "But, as with all great things, it was not to last. Team Prime began to drift apart in their later years of work." Saccharo clicked the button as the image of Mellyn faded. "Mellyn was the first to go. She had found love and chose to raise a family. She took on work teaching at Haven academy whilst living there with her husband, leaving her team behind." Then, he clicked the button again and Eden's image faded. "Eden was called upon by her Faunus brethren to lead them, and tragically lost her life fighting alongside them against humans. Her death was one of the first motions that would spark the Faunus Rights Revolution." The next one to go dark was Rufus. "Rufus Wayland would retire from huntsman work to become a simple blacksmith. They say he trained seven apprentices who continue to produce the highest quality weapons in all of Remnant. And as for Phelan…" when his image faded, a question mark was left over it. "No-one is certain what happened to him. He seemed to vanish whilst hunting Grimm on his own and never returned. His weapons and clothing were never recovered. And his true fate is lost, even to history." Saccharo ended the lecture on that solemn note, the bell ringing and allowing them to leave at last. "There's an exhibit on team Prime at the Vault museum of history, so go study up!" he shouted as the students filtered out.

The moment class was over, team ICYL rose to their feet. It was time to put their plan into action.

"Hey uh, Remus?" Cedar approached the boy in shades as they left the classroom.

"What?" Remus glanced at him idly, hands in his pockets.

"Do you mind if I ask you something? I kinda want some advice on a location study." A sly line Cedar implemented to pique the boy's interest.

"Oh, sure." Remus agreed. Together, they walked a short ways down the hall, away from the other students who were off to have some dinner. Once they were far enough, team ICYL surrounded Remus, each bearing a look of contempt.

"Alright Remus, we know what you've been up to." Lariah led the inquisition with a firm promise.

"Uh?" The boy looked confused.

"You're the one behind the pranks." Yasmin continued. "You shot a water balloon at me this morning."

"Don't know what you're talking about." Remus shrugged.

"We know it was you, ya varmint." Isaac added. "Ya might as well confess."

"You got proof of that?" Remus challenged them. "Or you just accusing someone you don't like?"

"The one who attacked us used his semblance to escape!" Cedar said quickly. "He phased through us. And that's your semblance, isn't it?" Remus seemed to twitch ever so slightly.

"How would you know that?" Remus asked, a little irritated.

"None of your business. Care to show us your semblance and prove us wrong?" Yasmin closed the noose on him as Remus seemed to realise he was stuck in this situation with no way out. He shifted his position slightly, but the four of them had him cornered, nowhere to run.

"I don't have to show you anything." Remus growled.

"Then that's an admission of guilt. I'm sure the headmaster will want to hear your refusal." Yasmin continued to drill him, her attitude somewhat scaring Caden at how forceful she could be. Not that it wasn't unneeded or anything but…

"What do you think you're doing?" A cold voice drew their attention to Silas who had arrived with his team, Terrance on his left, teeth gritted and fists closed and April on his right, hood up once again.

"Your teammate is a serial prankster." Yasmin addressed him sharply. "He attacked me this morning and has humiliated our team. We're dealing with that."

"Oh Remus, i'm so disappointed in you." Silas sighed, looking at the boy. "You really shouldn't have been picking on the others like that. It's not right." Remus didn't try to argue.

"Wait just a second." Yasmin frowned at him. "There's no way he pulled this off by himself."

"Whatever do you mean?" Silas asked, that sly smile on his face.

"The culprit tricked us with fake calls from our friends, posted pictures online and was able to catch Isaac and Cedar with preparations. One boy couldn't do all of that. I think you helped him." Yasmin deduced, though Silas seemed unphased.

"I don't think you have proof of that." Silas shrugged and smiled, his teammates shifting with unease behind him. "So you can take Remus to the headmaster. I assure you, i'll be working to correct him for these terrible incidents." An uneasy air hung over the hallway. Cedar looked between them. Something about this didn't feel right. Was Remus alone really the culprit? Was his team somehow involved? There wasn't any real evidence they had that could prove it. Isaac and Lariah seemed equally troubled, whilst Yasmin looked angry.

"You know, if you had anything to do with this, i'll find out." Yasmin threatened Silas. "And it's going to end badly."

"You've got nothing." Silas sneered with that smirk still plastered on his face. "So make all your threats, i'll be sure to remember them for whenever you have actual ev-"

"ENOUGH!" a sudden shriek silenced him as April's hood came down, the girl looked utterly distraught. Cedar noticed her eyes were streaming and her hands were tightly clenched. "E-enough, Silas… please, stop lying! I can't take it!"

"April, calm down." Silas looked to her with concern. "Just take deep breaths and-"

"N-no… I can't just ignore this, Silas. It's gone too far!" April sniffed, looking at Cedar and his team, utterly befuddled by her sudden swing in attitude. "...it wasn't just Remus. It was us. All of us… w-we were the ones pranking you…" she confessed. A shared gasp went around their small group.

"April." Silas frowned, speaking a little more sternly. "Think about what you're saying, now. Maybe you should be quiet and not-"

"Silas can mimic voices. It's what his semblance does." April cut him off and the grey haired boy hissed between his teeth. "H-he… he made the phone calls, Terrance dumped the bin on you, Cedar… a-and I helped get the stuff for the water balloon…" she dropped to her knee, she was crying her eyes out now. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to do it."

Cedar stared at the crying girl and felt a mix of sympathy and shock in his core. On the one hand he felt outraged their entire team had taken tormenting them so lightly and surprised the timid rainbow haired girl had been involved, but on the other hand, he could tell she didn't want to be a part of it. Maybe she just went along with it for her team's sake? Either way, it was hard not to feel sympathy for the girl crying her eyes out on the floor. Before Cedar, or anyone could move to try and comfort her, they spied a familiar face show up behind team STAR, arms folded, an unimpressed look upon his face.

"I think all of you should get up to the headmaster's office. Right now." Professor Redwood directed them.

* * *

It was a cramped ride in the elevator up to the headmaster's office, Cedar squeezed in next to his teammates, the snivelling shivering form of April at his side. The doors opened into a room that Cedar would describe as 'vintage' in style. The floor was wooden beneath their shoes, a red patterned rug thrown over it, in front of a large mahogany desk with curled designs at its corners, a few small chairs in front of it. Behind it sat Birchwood in a red leather chair lined with more ancient wood, his cane resting at one side of the desk. The desk itself bore his name on an old fashioned brass plaque, a pair of fountain pens resting upon one side and a modern looking computer sat to the right, highly out of place in this environment. Behind Birchwood was a towering window, the view from which spanned out across the entire campus of Lustre Academy. If Cedar had the time to admire it, he'd probably enjoy the sight.

"Thank you for bringing them, Professor Redwood." Birchwood addressed the teacher, who stepped aside as his gaze bore into the students standing before him, his eyes practically emanated disappointment as Cedar winced slightly. "When you first arrived at this school, do you remember what I told all of you?" Birchwood asked rhetorically. "I asked you to respect your fellow students and your faculty and that in turn, we would treat you like adults." he looked toward Silas and his team, the grey haired boy scratching at his neck. "Do you think pranking your fellow students and humiliating them publicly is a show of respect?" There was silence, aside from April's sniffling.

"No, sir." Silas replied, rolling the words in irritance.

"And you four." Birchwood then looked to Cedar and his team. "Do you think looking through confidential student medical files is respecting your fellow students?" The mention of what they'd done seized Cedar's heart and for a moment, it felt like it had stopped beating. Yasmin seemed ready to protest before Birchwood shook his head. "Don't try to lie to me, young lady. We have found camera recordings of all your misdeeds." Cedar almost wanted to smack himself in the forehead for not realising something so obvious.

"No sir." Isaac spoke up. "And I, as team leader, take full responsibility for our actions."

"I believe you came to this decision as a group, Isaac. Don't try and cover for them, as admirable as it is." Birchwood sighed and shook his head. "So here we are. Into the first week of term and I have two sets of students I must treat like children and who can't seem to get along. You do realise you're going to be spending four years under the same roof, don't you? Do you not feel getting along would be a better idea considering that?"

"Doesn't mean we have to like each other." Silas muttered snidely, earning a loud smack from the headmaster's walking stick on the floor.

"With an attitude like that, young man, you will make a poor huntsman." Birchwood scolded him, Silas' usual cool practically melting under Birchwood's authoritative tone. He looked over the group once again. "Consider this the one time I will let these actions be treated lightly. Both of your teams will be on cleaning duty after hours for two weeks. And I suggest you find some way to settle your differences."

"But sir." Yasmin now spoke up. "We don't know why they targeted us. We didn't do anything to them."

"Doesn't mean you don't deserve it." Silas muttered, earning a hot glare from Yasmin.

"It doesn't, you little creep!" she snarled.

"Stuck up bitch." Silas spat back before another loud CLACK echoed around the room.

"ENOUGH!" Birchwood shouted, silencing the both of them. "I won't put up with this petty squabbling. You're supposed to be learning to be huntsmen. If you cannot get along with each other, how do you expect to get along with others in the field?" Cedar winced again, his foxy ears were hanging low from all this scolding. Maybe if they'd just gone to the teachers, they could've rectified this whole situation. He still felt a little proud of his team for fixing it themselves, but all the scolding was sure putting pain to those thoughts.

"Maybe they should fight." Redwood's dry suggestion cut through, drawing the attention of the students.

"Pardon me?" Birchwood raised an eyebrow.

"If you've got beef with someone, take it out in the arena. An old comrade said that once." Redwood reminisced and Cedar wondered who those comerades were… but Birchwood seemed to be intrigued by this idea.

"I think that's a good idea." Birchwood turned to the groups and stated "It's decided then. On top of cleaning duty, both your teams will settle your differences in the arena. And then that will be the end of this feud."

Cedar's gaze met with Silas' as both teams glared each other down. One way or another, this dispute was going to end in combat.


	10. V1C10: Seeing Stars

**Volume 1**

Chapter 10: Seeing Stars

Tension. That was all Cedar could feel as Birchwood and Redwood escorted both teams toward the training arena. A great weight pressing down on his shoulders as every step felt like a step in concrete shoes. Cedar knew that his team were skilled, he'd seen Yasmin and Lariah in action in battle and he was sure Isaac was strong too. But aside from Terrance, they'd not seen anyone else on their team in battle. And of course, Cedar knew he was the weakest link of their team. Would he let them down now they had to fight as a team? As they entered the arena and Redwood went to activate the terminal, the pressure on his shoulders only grew heavier.

Team STAR crowded around one another and began to discuss what Cedar could only presume was tactics. In a similar fashion, Isaac gestured the rest of their team to huddle up.

"Alright folks." he began. "We need some kinda game plan fer these fellers. Whadda we know?"

"The blonde one uses his hammer and missiles" Cedar piped up.

"Right. I can prolly keep his explosives offa our backs with Outlaw Sunday. Anythin' else we know?"

"Remus, his semblance allows him to turn into smoke." Yasmin reminded him.

"Right, so we gotta keep an eye on that if we go man ta man with him." Isaac nodded. "We should try'n keep tagether, stop em singlin' us out."

"I agree." Lariah nodded. "If I use my semblance, you guys should keep away from me or it might affect you too."

"Right." Yasmin nodded. "We're going in at a real disadvantage, but we're still a team. We can beat these underhanded goons."

"Right!" Lariah agreed.

"Darn tootin'" Isaac added.

"...yeah, lets do it." Cedar added, not as sure as the others were. Their little planning session over, they went back to facing down against team STAR. They positioned themselves in a diamond formation, with Isaac standing at the front, Cedar on the left, Yasmin on the right and Lariah at the back, ideally to tackle whatever moves their opponents used right away. Their opponents meanwhile stood in a line, Terrance and Silas in the middle with Remus and April on the sides. Cedar took quick stock of their weapons. He recognised Terrance's mighty hammer he was resting on his shoulder. April's weapon he also vaguely recalled, though he still wondered how she planned to use the umbrella as a weapon. Remus… seemed to be holding the wing of a plane on a handle. And Silas' weapon was also quite strange, what looked like a silver and white double headed fan axe. He'd never seen such a weapon before.

"Standard tournament rules, if your aura goes below 15%, you're out. If you get knocked out of the arena, you're out." Redwood reminded them. The arena activated around them and Cedar caught a glimpse of the screen, displaying four aura bars beside four portraits on either side.

"Ready? Fight!" the voice announced. Team STAR immediately went on the offensive, Terrance compacting his hammer into its RPG launcher form and firing off three rockets at once toward their group! But Isaac was ready, aiming his shotgun upward.

"Hope y'all like fireworks." he smiled, firing a shell into the air, exploding into flaming sparks akin to fireworks which intercepted Terrance's missiles. They exploded in the air, a great cloud of smoke blanketing the field. Then out of the cloud, Terrance emerged, swinging his hammer at Isaac and hitting him over to the side. Before Cedar or Yasmin could react, Silas and Remus appeared, the grey haired boy going right for Cedar. The Faunus instinctively ducked to the left, but failed to stop Silas' next blow, the blade of his fan axe flatly striking his stomach and knocking him backwards. Cedar winced as he regained his footing.

His gaze drifted over to their once tight formation. Terrance was going after Isaac with his hammer, Yasmin had opened her fans to avoid fire from April, who was holding her umbrella like a rifle as bullets shot from the tip. And Remus was firing off what seemed like a pistol function at Lariah, picking at her aura. Cedar realised to his horror, their tight formation had been broken and now they were fighting one to one.

"Can't fight well up close, can you?" Silas taunted as Cedar was forced to switch his crossbow to blade mode, using it to block a wide slash from his opponent's fan axe. "I remember it from when flute boy kicked your ass. You're might be a good shot, but up close you suck." Silas taunted him, the boy spinning his weapon to bring it down on Cedar's head. He put up his weapon to block, but Silas overpowered him and pressed his sword down, the flat of the blade slicing into his middle. He winced and pulled back but Silas wouldn't give him room to manoeuvre, keeping up the pressure and preventing him from escaping back to his team.

Isaac and Terrance were trading blows. Isaac had been forced to switch his shotgun into its mace mode to clash with Terrance's hammer. Isaac was a stocky guy but Terrance was all muscle, his mighty swinging blows gradually grinding Isaac's stamina down. The cowboy knew he couldn't keep this anger fuelled brute at bay for long, he needed a way to break their stalemate and regroup with his team. So when Terrance wound up for a big swing, Isaac activated his semblance. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he retracted his weapon into its shotgun form and loaded two shells into the top barrels. He stood and took aim at Terrance's middle. Then, motion resumed as normal and Isaac pulled the trigger, two barrels bursting with explosive powder, striking Terrance right in the stomach. He was blown backwards, skidding slightly on the arena floor. Isaac puffed slightly, the recoil having knocked him a little. But now there was distance between them, he could get back to his team.

A growl from Terrance drew his attention, the boy was suddenly coming at Isaac faster than before, a rocket loaded into his hammer had been set off and the boost was shooting out the back of the hammerhead, propelling him forward. Isaac pulled the trigger on his shotgun, only to hear an empty click, the barrels hit him hard, Isaac falling backwards. He'd lost his footing and his opponent moved to capitalise, his aura hitting 59%.

"Why did you side with them?" Yasmin demanded as she drew closer to April, the rainbow haired girl was down on one knee, firing from her umbrella like a rifle. Yasmin was using her fans to block her shots but she couldn't fight back, the girl was protected by the umbrella canvas which was somehow impervious to her own bullets.

"T-they're my team…" April replied shakily. "I-I have to stick with them." Yasmin winced slightly, dodging to the left and right, but April kept her sights trained on her, landing a solid hit was proving to be harder than she thought and Yasmin's aura was slowly being chipped away. She needed to get behind her guard to do some damage, fearing trying to get back to her team and taking sneak shots from this ranger.

"If you don't agree with it, you shouldn't go with it! You should've told them to stop" Yasmin argued, activating her semblance so two copies of herself appeared at April's back left and right to initiate a three pronged attack.

"I'm sorry!" April replied, suddenly pointing her umbrella up as her aura flashed blue. Above her, a strange grey cloud began to form, spreading out to an area around her in billowing tendrils. Once it had spread, it released raindrops. Yasmin was mystified even as her three copies attacked together, April wasn't even trying to defend herself from Yasmin's swift slashes and instead kept her umbrella pointed up. And Yasmin soon found out why. She began feeling sharp stinging sensations over her body, every drop of rain that splashed onto her felt like a drop of acid. And one glance at the monitor revealed it was lowering her aura with every drop! Hissing in pain, Yasmin recalled her copies and opened her fans, using them to shield herself from the rain.

"That's quite a nasty semblance you have there…" She commented, making April shiver slightly.

"I… I'm not proud of it…" the girl in the raincoat admitted as she approached, the raincloud dogging her footsteps. Yasmin winced, she'd lost the favour of close combat and her opponent was a ranged specialist. This fight was only getting harder.

Much like the rest of her team, Lariah was struggling. She reeled her flail in by the chain and kicked it upward toward her opponent. But Remus' aura flashed and he vanished into a puff of smoke and the spiked ball flew harmlessly through, re-emerging a second later to attack with his plane wing sword. Lariah managed to block slightly with the chain of her weapon but Remus' swift swordplay landed several hits on her arms forcing the copper haired girl backwards. He was blocking the route back to her team.

"Surprised you even wanna fight without your mask, tough guy!" Lariah tried to get him on edge a little, bringing her flail down overhead only for him to hop to the right. But this time, Lariah had tricked him and had activated her weapon's triggers. When it hit the ground, it exploded with fire dust and Remus was knocked to one side, scorched and losing a big chunk of aura.

"Tch…" Remus wiped his face and opened the pistol barrel on his weapon to fire on her. She defended by spinning her flail so the chain would block his shots, one or two getting through the gaps and making her wince in pain. Lariah knew she was still struggling, her big hits weren't going to outpace his chipping damage, not at this rate...

Cedar was trying to get on the offensive against Silas, swinging his sword down at the boy who blocked with the shaft of his fan axe. And to Cedar's shock, the weapon suddenly split in half into two smaller fan axes, which Silas quickly slashed into his sides, doing more damage. Cedar was running out of aura fast, his grey haired opponent was simply more skilled in close combat.

"We planned for this contingency, you know." Silas sneered as he held his weapons in either hand. "Planned out which of us would be able to beat each of you. All your fancy semblances can't do jack against us." Those words seemed to spark something in Cedar's head. If their plan had been to take them one on one, then that meant they hadn't planned on team interplay much. And thinking on that, something clicked in Cedar's head! A way to turn this fight around!

Cedar had to act fast to put his plan into action. If they were going to win, they needed to help one another. He glanced around the arena to see who was closest to him. It was Isaac and Terrance, the cowboy still trying to block hits from the aggressive Terrance.

When Silas swung at him horizontally, Cedar ducked around him and switched his weapon back to crossbow mod, loading an ice dust bolt. Just before Silas could strike him in the back, he fired it at Terrance's feet.

"What the hell?!" Terrance exclaimed with confusion, the ice bolt had struck his left foot and a crystal of ice now surrounded it. He was stuck in place and unable to hit Isaac. He was forced to stop and smash the ice around his foot, but it gave Isaac the time he needed to strike back. He called on his semblance once again and reloaded every barrel in his shotgun with a regular shell. Then he rushed to Terrance and jammed his shotgun into his chest. The blonde boy gasped, realising his fate.

"Happy trails." Isaac smiled and pulled the trigger with all his might. All four barrels fired at once, the force sending Terrance up into the air and then clear out of the arena. The boy still had at least 50% of his aura left after the shot, but it no longer mattered. His portrait had a big red X drawn through it on the screen as Isaac struggled to catch his breath. Firing all four barrels had knocked him backwards and taken the wind out of him. A smile formed on his lips. Their team had finally taken the edge in the fight.

"TERRANCE!" Silas cried out in shock at seeing his blonde partner fly out of the arena. The grip on his fan axes tightened. "You're gonna pay for that, you mangy fox." he snarled, turning an axe on Cedar and pulling a trigger on the shaft, a shotgun spray of bullets coming out around two hidden barrels beside the axe blade, an attack Cedar recognised from the Gauntlet. He rolled to the left, taking a few stray pellets. He had to keep assisting his team. He turned his eyes to Yasmin who was struggling to cope with April's rainstorm. Cedar could tell the rain was dangerous by how Yasmin's aura was depleting… but April's aura was fine. So was April protected somehow? Yes, that must be it. He had to take away that protection.

He goaded Silas into an attack by turning his crossbow back into its sword form, seizing a handful of wind dust bolts with his other hand. When both fan axes came down, Cedar flicked his sword upwards and then rammed his shoulder into Silas as hard as he could, knocking the boy onto his back! Then he quickly switched his weapon's mode and fired off the bolts at April's feet.

Poor April didn't even realise what was happening. The three wind bolts created a heavy updraft, taking her umbrella from her hands and even blowing open her coat, taking the hood down and opening the buttons. She cried out in pain, her own acid rain was now damaging her too and without a means to protect herself, she just covered her head with her hands in some meager attempt to save herself.

Yasmin backed out of the rain's reach and watched the girl now on her knees, covering herself as her own semblance was dealing her damage. She'd been cold to the girl's sad pleas and begging for forgiveness… but this was pulling at her heartstrings. She could only imagine how difficult it was to live with a semblance like hers. Mercifully, Yasmin turned her fans into pistol form and fired away, finishing April off and making her raincloud disperse. STAR were now down two members.

"REMUS!" Silas shouted to his teammate, having spied April go down. "Finish her off, quick!" Cedar could tell the grey haired boy was losing his cool as his plan fell apart. Hearing him, Cedar knew he had to help Lariah quickly as Silas was only getting more aggressive and his aura was running out, standing at only 17% on the board now. Cedar backstepped against Silas' next few swings, eyeing up Remus and noting that he had his back to them. He'd probably only get one shot to stop him. So he timed it carefully and as Silas clicked both his fan axes into shotgun mode, he fired one last bolt at Remus' back when his semblance wore off. And then, with one solid blast to the stomach, Cedar was eliminated.

Remus was still dominating the fight with Lariah, a confident smirk on his face as they fought. Lariah swung out at him in desperation and Remus simply turned into smoke, reforming once her chain was away. Lariah was getting frustrated at how foolish her opponent was making her feel.

And the next thing he knew, he'd been struck in the back by a lightning dust bolt and electricity wracked his system, temporarily paralysing him, his teeth gritting as his eyes fell upon his opponent, now given a chance to recover. Before he knew it, her semblance was pinning him down and he could barely move, intense pressure weighing on him. Then in one swift swing, her chain smacked him backwards, right into an attack from one of Yasmin's fanblades. His aura dropped below 15% as he fell onto his front.

The remainder of team ICYL cornered on Silas, standing over the fallen form of Cedar. He turned on them, reconnecting his fan axes and scowling viciously.

"Yeah? What?!" Silas spat, glaring at the three of them. "You only won because of your stupid semblances! You proud of that?! You need three of you to take on one guy?!" In desperation, he attacked Yasmin with a wide swing. The elegant girl used a fan to slide it under his axe, flicking the blade upward, leaving him open to a slash in the middle from her other fan. Then Lariah chained this attack into her own, kicking the ball of her chain and it slammed into the side of Silas' jaw, spinning him around to face against Isaac. In a last ditch effort, Silas split his weapon in half and attempted to strike both of Isaac's sides.

The large boy responded by booting Silas in the stomach and then following up with a swing from his mace weapon. And finally he delivered the coup de grace, changing his weapon back to shotgun mode and firing a single shell, rolling him backward across the arena and leaving him bereft and still. It was over.

"Complete knock out. Team Icicle wins!" The monitor said, with all of team STAR's portraits removed and a little confetti shower playing on the monitor. But before they could celebrate, they had a teammate to help first.

"Cedar!" Lariah got to him first, the Faunus was still down after Silas finished him off with his shotgun blast. He was struggling to get up, winded and worn out from the fight. Lariah hefted him to his feet and let the boy rest against her beefy frame.

"Are ya alright, pardner?" Isaac asked with concern on his face. "Ya took a mighty bad beatin' back there."

"Yeah i'm…" Cedar stopped himself and sighed. He'd already come clean to his team about his semblance, he couldn't lie to them. He needed to trust them. "I've been better. Silas really outmatched me. I'm sorry guys."

"None of that." Yasmin shook her head firmly. "It was your assistance that turned the tide. A noble sacrifice." she assured him. Noble, Cedar kind of liked that description. "You helped us remember we needed to work as a team."

"Them fellers sure split us up, good'n proper." Isaac agreed with a firm nod. "We'll needta work on that."

"Yeah! We'll work together and learn how to fight as a team!" Lariah was as upbeat as ever and Cedar couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks guys…" he noted that Team Star were picking themselves up, April checking on Silas and Terrance hefting up the worn out Remus. The four hobbled out of the arena without another word. Cedar could tell their pride had been shattered, they probably wouldn't be picking on anyone else. But in his head, something still tugged at his curiosity. He never did find out why they'd done this, or why their team specifically was targeted for their abuse. But he supposed right now he should focus on their victory rather than the reasoning of their tormentors.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp clack from Birchwood's walking stick on the arena floor. He was looking over them, looking less stern and more pleased.

"You did well. You should all be proud defeating another team." Birchwood told them. "However, you have practically no interplay between each other. You must strive to improve that. We sorted you into teams for a reason, after all." Lariah, Isaac and Yasmin seemed to be in agreement, nodding at his words. Then Birchwood turned to Cedar. "You on the other hand did well to assist your teammates, even at the cost of your own aura. An attitude like that is the ideal foundation for a caring huntsman." Cedar almost felt prideful until Birchwood continued speaking. "However, your swordplay clearly needs work. You and Silas were an even match, but he bested you at nearly every turn. I suggest you ask Miss Lariet for some private sparring sessions to improve your swordplay. You must still be able to fight alone."

"Yes sir." Cedar said almost immediately. He'd expected to feel awful from a scolding from Birchwood, and yet he understood his intentions. He agreed his swordplay probably could, no, should be better. It was another thing he would to improve at. He was feeling more driven than ever before. For his own sake, for his team, and for her…

* * *

After their experience in the arena, they all realised just how late it was, so the four teammates returned to their room for the night. The moon has already risen outside, shining a silver light through their open windows, a calm and settling sight for the four tired students. They prepared for bed, changing into pajamas, putting their weapons away and taking showers. Cedar immediately flopped onto his bed, head hitting the pillow, almost drifting off then and there.

"Cedar?" Yasmin inquired, emerging from the bathroom in a pretty looking silk nightie.

"Hm?" Cedar lifted his head and looked at her.

"I'd like to ask you something a little personal. And I don't want you to be offended." She said.

"Um, okay?" Cedar looked at her in uncertainty. What could she say that would offend him?

"Why did you decide to become a huntsman?" She asked. He was a little confused at her question.

"What brought that on?" Cedar asked in return.

"Forgive me, but you don't seem the type for huntsman work." Yasmin said rather straightforwardly. "I've lived amongst hunters all my life and they all have this certain aura or mindset. Something you can almost tell at a glance." She explained, Cedar could almost feel the experience in her voice. It made him wonder a little about her home life. "You don't have that aura or that mindset. You're very nice and kind, but you seem like a life of combat isn't suited for you. Your aim is good but your sword skills are lacking and with your semblance out of control, it just seems strange to me is all you decided to come to this school."

"It's not strange, I understand what you mean." Cedar smiled wryly at her. "You're right, I didn't have much combat training in school, what I was always good at was freerunning." he claimed, Yasmin looked surprised. "But, well, I was inspired by someone close to me. They inspired me to try and be better, to get that mindset and that aura." he spoke firmly, looking almost defiantly into her eyes. "And one day… maybe i'll be able to meet them again. To show them I can improve and I can become the kind of person I want to be." he said, almost defiantly.

"Good answer." Yasmin replied with a smirk. "You might not have that mindset or aura, yet. But I wanted to see if you had that determination. Something my father would tell me, determination can forge the strongest sword."

"Thanks Yasmin." Cedar replied.

Yasmin left it at that and got into bed, same as the others. Cedar found himself lying on his back and slowly dozing off, the fatigue from the day setting in. Yasmin's words had kindled that fire burning inside him. He would improve. He'd become as skilled as he needed to be. For his team, for himself, and for her.


	11. V1C11: Catch A Falling Star

**Volume 1**

Chapter 11: Catch A Falling Star

Cedar awoke the next morning with the warmest of smiles on his face. He felt a little stiff from the fight so late last night, but he felt incredibly well rested. It'd been the deepest sleep he'd had since he'd arrived at Lustre Academy. Maybe it was due to all the pressure and all his worries being lifted off his shoulders yesterday. Like the chains had been cut from a struggling prisoner and he was walking free for the first time in ages. When he got out of bed and had his shower, it only helped enhance this feeling, he was still smiling from ear to eat when they arrived in the dining hall. Despite a brief flash of the memory of being humiliated in here, he shrugged it off and was soon sitting down to breakfast opposite team Torch, who also looked quite happy.

"I can't believe you guys stopped those bullies!" Candi blurted out through a mouthful of sugary cereal.

"Hm? How do you know we…?" Lariah began to say.

"A video has been uploaded to the school's homepage of your bout with team STAR." Martin explained, taking out his scroll and bringing up the page to show them. And yes indeed, someone had taken a video of it. Judging from the angle, it had likely been recorded from somewhere in the seats. But Cedar couldn't remember seeing anyone else in the room at the time… he wondered who had done this.

"Interesting." Yasmin smiled. "Word has spread of the culprits then. I won't say no to that."

"Yeah it's bloody amazin' mate!" Ozzy grinned, giving them a thumbs up. "You buncha wazzocks did great! Whole school's buzzin' about it!"

"Well thas' mighty fine, I reckon." Isaac smiled cordially. "Clearin' everythin' up with no confusion and whatnot."

"Yeah…" it was at this point Cedar glanced around the dining room, and sure enough, team Star were missing. He couldn't say he was surprised, if this news had spread around the school, they'd probably get food thrown at them the second they came in.

"Um… excuse me?" Just as he was thinking that, a timid voice drew his attention to April Showers, who was standing at the end of their table with a tray in hand. She received a few sharp stares team Torch.

"Shouldn't you be with your team, plotting up new ways to make fools of yourselves?" Martin said sharply, the disdain clear in his voice.

"No." April replied, looking at Cedar and his team. "I… I uh, wanted to thank you. For stopping my team." This surprised team Torch, but Cedar had a feeling he knew where she was coming from.

"Well, really it was you who stopped them." Cedar pointed out. "We only had evidence on Remus, you're the one who told us everyone else was involved."

"Mmh… b-but you guys inspired me to do it." As usual, April and Cedar had gotten into a 'no you are' contest and Cedar couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "Listen, um… I-I know you're probably not going to believe me, but…" April seemed to be addressing the table now as both teams listened in. She glanced toward the cantina exit slightly and sighed. "My team… they… t-they're not bad people."

"You wot?!" Ozzy practically fell backwards out of his chair.

"All evidence certainly points to the contrary, April." Yasmin covered her mouth with her fan. "Did they ask you to tell us this as a bargaining chip?"

"N-no!" April said, defiant of Yasmin's suspicions. "I… I-I'm doing this of my own accord, not theirs." She insisted, surprising the group once again. "I just… t-they're still my team. They did something bad, we all did… b-but they're not bad people. They just… have problems. L-like everyone does, right?" She looked around the table again.

"Just because you have problems doesn't mean you can inflict them on others." Martin scoffed slightly, adjusting his glasses.

"No, you're right…" April nodded slightly, which drew Cedar's attention to how her hood was down. "But still, I-I just wanted to say it. That's all." April then moved away, going to sit down and eat on her own. There was a curious silence when she left them.

"She looks so sad. But determined." Candi pouted, idly tapping her bowl with her spoon.

"I wonder…" Cedar glanced over to the door April had been looking at. He had a feeling she'd been gesturing him to go over there. Before he knew why, he was rising to his feet and headed over to the doorway.

"Where ya goin' Cedar?" Isaac asked.

"Just need to check on something." Cedar passed it off, passing through the doorway and into the quieter corridor. He paced forward, hands in his jeans' pockets, eyes glancing left and right in uncertainty. A short few steps later, he found what he'd suspected April was directing him to. Silas.

The boy was seated by one of the windows, hiding from view with a plastic tray on his lap, his breakfast consisting of simple toast and a cup of juice. His fur collared jacket had been buttoned up to his neck. Cedar didn't have to guess why he was eating here. Silas slowly looked up from his breakfast, a sullen look on his face as he recognised the Faunus.

"Yeah? What do you want? If you're here to gloat, get on with it." he said with a sigh, his eyes noticeably lustreless.

"No, i'm not here to gloat." Cedar sat down opposite him, knees up to his chest. "I just want to talk to you."

"Why? You want to threaten me?" Silas frowned, remaining highly defensive.

"No." Cedar shook his head. "I just want to ask… why. Why'd you do it? Tricking and pranking us like that?" He cut right to the point before Silas could accuse him of something else. The grey haired boy recoiled and was silent for a couple of moments before he spoke.

"It wasn't anything personal." He began. "I didn't pick you or your team for any reason, like you being a Faunus or whatever. I just went with whoever seemed easiest…" Cedar still wasn't sure what that meant, but he listened to Silas continue to speak. "You know why I did it? I did it because of what happened back in combat school. I had a bad experience and I didn't want it to happen again."

"What happened?" Cedar drilled a little harder as Silas winced at recalling the story.

"I liked huntsmen. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be one. So I went to an Atlas combat school, start training and whatever… then everyone started getting their semblances. And most of the other kids got amazing ones, shooting fire, lasers, whatever, fact was everyone suddenly had these flashy semblances…" his eyes narrowed. "And what did I get? Voice mimicry. Something that doesn't help against Grimm at all. It was a useless semblance. And everyone picked up on it." The word useless semblance really struck home for Cedar. He began to understand Silas' pain.

"They started picking on me. They were stronger and their semblances made them untouchable. So it just became routine and the school sure as hell did nothing about it. Every single freaking day it was listening to them, acting smug and superior all the time…" Silas' teeth gritted and Cedar spotted his fingers clenching. "...I got lucky though. Terrance went to the same school. Got angry over seeing what they did and he stood up for me, beat the snot out of them." Silas sighed slightly. "Found out later the guy has anger issues and his own stupidly powerful semblance… but I didn't care at the time. He helped me and as far as I was concerned, that was enough." Cedar winced slightly, what he would've given for a friend like Terrance in his own combat school.

"We became a team after that. We went about getting back at all of them. Terrance with his strength and me being the brains between us. Even my useless semblance helped me get back at them… ironic, isn't it?" He continued, his eyes sullen and hollow as he spoke. "We graduated, agreed to go to the same school. And we swore to each other, we wouldn't let it happen again. No-one would put one over on us… not if we put one over on everyone else first." He looked back up at Cedar, a mix of sadness and anger on his face. "That's why I did it. I thought I could be the one in power first and stop any of you from judging me, or him. We'd sit at the top and be untouchable…" he trailed off and sighed once again. "...now it's done the opposite. We're back on the bottom and the whole school hates us."

When Silas finished speaking, a silence settled upon them like a weighted blanket. Cedar turned over what he'd heard in his head, thinking carefully. Obviously, what Silas and his team had done was wrong. They'd hurt Cedar, hurt his team and might've hurt more people if it continued… but, deep down, Cedar felt a tug of compassion in his heart. He knew what Silas had been through, experienced and he hadn't even had support in the ways of friends. Aside from maybe one person, but… no, there was no time to think on that now.

"Silas." Cedar began to say.

"Yeah, what? I'm a terrible person a-"

"No, please, let me finish." Cedar cut him off before he could continue. "...i'm not going to forgive you. Not now, at least. What you did was wrong, we both know that." Silas frowned, it was an obvious statement but Cedar needed a lead up. "But, I understand why you did it."

"...what?" Silas' eyebrows raised in surprise.

"I understand your situation." Cedar continued, his ears twitching slightly. "Back in combat school, I was picked on too. For these." He pointed to his ears. "And it's where I found out my semblance too."

"What, is it some kind of teleport or something?" Silas asked, going off of what he'd seen in the dining room.

"No, it's shrinking." Cedar corrected him. Silas blinked.

"...shrinking? That's it?"

"Yep. I can't even control it properly… it's pretty useless." He smiled wryly.

"...wow, yeah, that is kind of useless against Grimm." Silas agreed.

"It is… but, the point is, I know what having a worthless semblance is like. And I know what being bullied is like. So, I get why you did what you did. I don't necersarily forgive you… but I think I can, in time." Cedar finishd, a look of disbelief spreading across his face.

"...you're not serious. You can't be serious right now." Silas muttered. "We humilated you! I-In front of everyone! They laughed at you! And your semblance!" He continued spitting the words. "How can you just be so okay with that?!"

"For a start, it helped me stop lying to my team. Helped me get along with them and it helped us catch you." Cedar explained. "And… we're going to be here for another 4 years, Silas. I don't know, I think it's best to just put these situations behind us and get on with it. Because… even if my semblance is weak, i'm not going to let it stop me." Cedar leaned forward slightly. "I want to get better. I want to be a huntsman, semblance or not. And I won't stop improving until i'm good enough to be one. And if you still care about beings a huntsman too, well… maybe you should do the same." Silas just looked at Cedar with shock, almost recoiling slightly. "...I mean, after all, it was April who sent me here to see you."

"...she did?" Silas looked aside. "...she's way too nice."

"She cares." Cedar corrected. "Cares about her team. And… well, maybe you should show her that too." He stood up, smiling at the grey haired boy. "I'll see you at detention Silas." He turned around and walked away from him. He felt a sense of closure over finally getting to hear the truth about the incident. He felt he understood Silas a little more now. And he knew that the boy was just like he was, just a normal guy and not some evil monster.

Silas watched Cedar go, looking in disbelief at the victim who said he understood his tormentor. He huddled a little tighter and felt a pang of regret creeping up inside of him. Not just for Cedar, but for someone else on his team. Before he was sure what he was doing, he took out his scroll and dialled a number on it. The scroll began to ring as Silas held it up to his ear, trembling slightly.

"Hey, April? It's Silas… look, I think I need to say something to you."

* * *

After Cedar returned to the table and the cacophonic smell of fried foods and cereals assaulted him, he finished his porridge and left with his team. Whilst today was mostly free, they had a job to do. It was time to receive their punishment. They were taken by some of the maintenance staff to a supply area and were given coveralls to put on along with caps. Then they were told to grab a few buckets of paint and some long rollers and follow them outside to the front grounds of the school. Cedar gulped nervously as they arrived at the great looming walls of the academy. And their job was to paint it. All of it.

It was going to be a loooooong detention, Cedar thought to himself. They quickly got to work, the other maintenance workers doing the higher areas of the wall via a portable davit, one of those window cleaning platforms Cedar had spotted a few times in the business district of town. They meanwhile stayed on ground level, painting the lower sections of the wall.

Cedar's nose wrinkled as they got to work, the smell of lead in the paint already getting to him as he moved his roller up and down. It didn't help any that he was short, he could barely reach as high as his teammates were painting. Especially Isaac, the cowboy seemed to have no trouble reaching up high with his roller. Lariah was doing the most out of the four of them, she was working hard and had a smile on her face. Cedar felt a little envious at her positive attitude and how well she was taking all of this.

"Guh… these coveralls are so stifling." Yasmin grumbled. It was a little funny to see her out of a beautiful outfit, even her school uniform helped improve her looks. But those coveralls were very unflattering as she splattered paint onto the wall. They kept at the work for a while, making little conversation and simply dedicating themselves to working. After all, the sooner they were done, the sooner they could relax and talk it out later. Cedar remained determined with the menial labour, working and going along the wall panel by panel, enduring the stink of paint and the occasional splatter onto his clothes or cap. Before they knew it, the sun was high overhead and they were allowed to take a short break.

"Phew… this is hard work!" Lariah lamented, wiping some sweat from her brow.

"This is nuthin'." Isaac assured them. "Back home I had to help paint up the house when I was maybe 14. Y'get used ta it." He assured them, patting Lariah on the back slightly.

"I know I certainly couldn't." Yasmin frowned. "I feel so sweaty in these clothes."

"Yeah they do kinda cling." Cedar agreed, tugging on his sleeves slightly to give them some more length.

"Well we'd better get used to it! There's lots more of it to do after all." Lariah forced a smile to try and keep them all in high spirits.

"I'm gonna go sit down for a bit." Cedar said and turned to go find a shady tree somewhere around the grounds to sit under. Whilst he was walking, one of his fox ears twitched under the cap and he heard something soft on the breeze. He turned his head toward the sound. It was music. Soft, enticing music. The young Faunus couldn't help but follow the notes on the breeze to their source, finding their temptation too irresistible to pass up. Following a winding white path through the red grass, he came upon one of the great white and black trees that stood around the grounds, shade cast down from the midday sun. Sitting below it was someone Cedar recognised, by his wide brimmed brown hat with the yellow feather, by his unusual eye mask, by the silver flute he held so delicately, fingers dancing up and down as it played its soft melody.

"Um… it's Stizza, right?" Cedar spoke up, the flutist stopped playing and his eyes opened, glancing at him.

"That's right." Stizza confirmed, lowering his flute. "Did my music bother you?"

"Oh, no actually." Cedar wanted to sit down but he felt it rude to just do so when the boy had already claimed this spot. "I just kinda got drawn over by it, you know…"

"A common occurrence." Stizza smiled slightly. "You may sit with me if you like." briefly wondering if Stizza had telepathic powers, Cedar obliged and sat down on the soft grass.

"You play that flute beautifully."

"Why thank you." Stizza held it up. "Music is one of my favourite skills. It was part of my cultural studies when I was being home schooled."

"You were homeschooled?" Cedar looked surprised.

"Yes." Stizza nodded softly. "I was adopted from Mistral and raised in Atlas. I was well taken care of, taught manners, culture, fashion sense, alongside my combat skills. Then I was submitted here to Vault, to further my training in a more social environment." It was hard to not feel the slight aristocratic aura emanating off of Stizza when he spoke.

"Wow. No wonder you're so skilled." Cedar chuckled. He was a little proud of that. Considering he'd run out of class after the swift pummelling he'd received from the boy, being able to brush it off now… that felt good. Really good.

"I may have a slight edge in skill. But i'm sure I can be still be surprised before the year's end." Stizza smiled almost slyly.

"That and your semblance. It's almost perfect for combat." Cedar added. Though as he brought it up, something seemed to click in his head. He thought back to something earlier. "...actually. It was you, wasn't it?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You were the one who filmed us fighting team Star, weren't you? That's why none of us saw you or your scroll, because of your semblance." As he spoke, Stizza's sly smile grew only wider.

"Very good. You're absolutely right." and to prove it, he took out his scroll and showed him the video recording on it, dated to the day before. Cedar once again, felt a certain sense of pride at working something like this out without much inclination. "I must admit, I secretly hoped someone would notice it. Consider it a condolence for our sparring match in class."

"Dude, don't even worry about that, it helped me realise i've got a ways to go too." Cedar assured him. Him recording the video pretty much made up for anything bad he could've done before now, intentional or not.

"I think we all do…" Stizza turned to look at the grounds, the red grass bristling in the wind and the trees swaying slightly, a few leaves tumbling from the branches. "It's going to be a very interesting year."

"Yeah." Cedar smiled. A strange sensation of peace washed over him. Everything he was coming to terms with. Having outsmarted an enemy team, made amends with their leader, getting over his humiliation and starting down the road to improvement and becoming a true huntsman. Everything was starting to feel right again and his fears about this school felt like they were all melting away in the warm breeze.

Then he heard a shout from Yasmin, it was time to get back to work. He stood up and bid Stizza goodbye, returning to the menial work at the wall of the academy.

Surprisingly, now more than ever, as he carried out this simple job, now Cedar truly felt like he was finding his place in this school.


	12. V1C12: The Ginshi Clan

**Volume 1**

Chapter 12: The Ginshi Clan

With a heavy thud, Cedar hit the ground and rolled onto his side, wincing at the pain that spiked through his body. He hissed through his teeth and steadily got back to his feet. His eyes turned to his opponent, the pretty teacher in her flowery brown skirt, sabre in hand.

"Come on, Cedar." Miss Lariet instructed him, pointing her blade at him. "Again, come at me."

"Right!" The Faunus took a deep breath and gathered his courage, rushing at her again with his sword arm drawn back. He seemed ready to attack but he fronted to her side, trying to attack Miss Lariet on her right side. She sidestepped and blocked with her sabre. She took a step toward him to push him back before stabbing at his middle, but Cedar blocked with the flat of his arm blade and instead pushed into her, allowing him to bunt her with the flat of his blade. Miss Lariet stumbled slightly but quickly recovered.

"That's it, much better. Using physicality against an opponent in swordplay can be key." She smiled slightly before flicking her blade forward again. "Now, match my attacks." she instructed before coming at him with a brisk stride.

It had been two weeks since the day Cedar had been handed down his punishment and two weeks since he'd begun training after class with Miss Lariet. It'd been especially tiring, trying to fit in his schoolwork, painting, cleaning and extra training all around the hours of the day. But he'd been dedicating himself to it as best he could. He'd been eating extra healthily to keep himself energised and fighting fit, asking his teammates for help with his studies and not slacking in the slightest. The incident with team Star had lit a fire in his soul. With each passing bout, his skills had been improving. The first few rounds with miss Lariet he'd been on his back side and limping out of training. But now, he felt he was really starting to get it.

Teacher and student clashed, Cedar's broader weapon was slower than miss Lariet's agile sabre. Over training, he'd learned to compensate by being defensive and using his wider weapon and his own agility. In swordplay, she'd taught him how to utilise the unique nature of his weapon. She likened it to learning karate, learning to use his arms and hands together in directing his attacks. He'd learned to use his body in his movements, throw off his opponents by attacking in spinning motions or going low and high. It all culminated in this sparring session as his blade slid down to Miss Lariet's wrist and with one sharp bunt, knocked her sabre away, the gilded weapon clattering to the floor.

"Well done." Miss Lariet smiled again. "You're improving a lot, Cedar."

"Thank you." he retracted his blade and slipped Rundasbane off of his arm. "I feel like i've gotten better too."

"Good." Miss Lariet retrieved her weapon. "We'll pick this up again next week. You can go back to your room now." Cedar didn't need to be told twice and headed out. He got changed out of a set of gym clothes he'd been wearing into his usual attire and traipsed his way back up to team Icicle's dorm. Whilst he did feel happy he was finally improving, he was a very tired out from the training. When he made it to the door, he almost fell over whilst pushing it open.

"Tough training again, Cedar?" Yasmin teased as the Faunus staggered past her and flopped face first onto the bed. He mumbled something of a retort through his pillow.

"Shoot Cedar, y'all been trainin' every day now. Ain't it time ya took a bit of a break?" Isaac asked, the cowboy sitting on his bed and idly flicking through a leatherbound book. Cedar groaned in response and rolled over.

"I just want to stick with this, guys! I've still not been able to control my semblance..."

"Well it ain't gonna happen with you getting so tired every night!" Lariah emerged from the bathroom, wet from a shower and thankfully covered by a towel. "Why not just take a night off?"

"Muhh… I don't know." Cedar groaned, feeling his bones ache.

"Well, I certainly do." Yasmin suddenly clapped her hands, drawing their attention. "There's something i've been meaning to ask all of you. My parents are going to be hosting a family dinner tonight, and I asked if I could invite my team to join us." she was smiling as she told them all. "So, if you're all free, i'd appreciate it if you could come to dinner."

Cedar was a little taken aback by Yasmin's request. She had made mention of her family before, he could tell she held them in high regard. He'd been curious about them and a sudden dinner invitation was kind of enticing. Albeit hard to accept with how tired he felt. It was so tempting and he knew it'd mean a lot to Yasmin…

"I'll go!" Lariah chirped up, pumping her fist in the air, wrapping an arm around her chest to stop her towel falling off. "I love Mistrallian cuisine!" That prompted a chuckle from Yasmin.

"Shoot, I don't see why not." Isaac shrugged and nodded. "A night out sounds mighty fine." And with that, all eyes were on Cedar. Well now he _had_ to agree or else he'd look like a jerk. He mentally thanked Isaac and Lariah for pushing this on him unintentionally.

"Sure, a nice dinner after this week sounds great." Cedar put on his best smile. It was convincing enough for his teammates.

"In that case, everybody put on your best clothes." Yasmin smiled, opening their wardrobe. "And if you're not sure, i'll be happy to dress you." she smirked somewhat wickedly. Cedar got the sinking feeling Yasmin was going to be very thorough.

By the time they got off the transport into Vault, it was about 6PM. The sun was burning the sky a brilliant orange as it set in the west, illuminating Vault as the colony slipped into a cozy evening. The great stone lanterns lit up with artificial light, showering the streets in steely blue brilliance which rebounded off of the white stone walls of the buildings they passed. The square paved path shifted quietly underfoot, the occasional rustle disturbing it as some russet and orange leaves were brushed aside from the great white and silver trees that cropped up at regular intervals. The streets were mostly bare of people but there was the occasional passer by, a gaggle of teens on a night out, a suited man on his way home, a mother cradling a sleeping child as she walked. The lingering scent of baked bread drew Cedar's attention to the closed Drury Bakery, lingering a moment at the smell of rolls, croissants, muffins, cookies...

"Cedar, c'mon!" Lariah shouted back at him, the Faunus hurried to catch up to his team. He regrouped with them as they entered the housing estate, Cedar tugging on the collar of his jacket for how tightly it was zipped up. He didn't really have any smart clothes in his room, so Yasmin had just seen fit to make do with their usual clothes, with varying results. Cedar had left his goggles, scarf And gloves behind, his jacket zipped up and his trainers a little polished. Lariah had been half forced into a shirt with sleeves and normal trousers instead of the weighted diver ones she usually wore. Isaac had left his hat and waistcoat behind, leaving him in his pink button up shirt and some smart leather shoes rather than his boots.

Yasmin on the other hand was very well dressed for the occasion, wearing a red and yellow silk dress decorated with flowers, her hair kept up in a butterfly shaped clip. She outshone the lot of them by far. Cedar didn't mind too much, she probably knew best what her parents liked, and she did look very pretty.

A little walking later, Yasmin led them unto a fairly large house on the roadside. Unlike most of the stone houses in Vault, it was built with timber, thick square columns supporting it's downward sloped roof. The front door was nestled in the midst of a beautiful grassy green garden, split by a white stone path with a tranquil koi pond nestled beside it. Sweet smelling flowers sprouted from the flowerbeds, reds, yellows and oranges and some varieties Cedar couldn't name off by heart. Hanging lanterns above the front door bathed the entrance in an warm orange glow as Yasmin confidently strode across the path before knocking three times of the door.

The door swung inward, revealing a woman with long white hair bearing the lightest streaks of pink. She smiled at the group on her doorstep, her eyes welcoming and beautiful.

"Yasmin, you don't have to knock. This is your house too." She said sweetly.

"I know mother. But it seemed only right so I could introduce my team to you." Yasmin curtly replied, pointing back toward her three compatriots. "This is my team, Cedar Glade, Isaac Carbon and Lariah Marine."

"Howdy." Isaac smiled warmly.

"Hi!" Lariah beamed.

"Uhh hey." said Cedar, feeling a little awkward over someone else introducing him.

"It's so nice to meet you all. My name is Peony." the white haired woman greeted them with a smile as warm as Isaac's. "Please, come inside and sit down. Dinner is almost ready."

Cedar and company were ushered into the sitting room and sat down upon comfortable white chairs, surrounded by floral wallpaper and warm orange lighting. It was hard not to feel immediately at home here. Mrs Ginshi served up four china cups containing a strong smelling green liquid, which Cedar could only guess was herbal tea.

"This is a great place, Yasmin!" Lariah boomed, ushering Yasmin to shush her slightly.

"It is very nice." Cedar agreed, trying to sip the green liquid.

"Mighty comfortable. An' kinda pricey, too." Isaac agreed.

"We're still working class… but, my parents are somewhat influential." Yasmin brushed it off slightly. Cedar wondered what her family did for a living.

"And it's Mistrallian decoration, right?" Lariah asked, to which Yasmin nodded.

"You can take the family out of Mistral, but not vice versa, as mother would say." Yasmin nodded. "My parents wanted our home to remind us of where we came from."

"Or they just couldn't let it go." a voice drew their attention to the door where a young man stood, an arrogant smirk on his face. Cedar couldn't help but stare the shock of red hair spiked on his head and the scar across the bridge of his nose, his mere presence seemed intrusive to their conversation. "Ever think of that, Yas?" She responded with a sigh.

"No, Rhuber." she responded quickly. "And that remark is quite insulting."

"Chill out, it was just a thought." he responded, throwing himself into a chair and kicking a leg onto the armrest. Cedar couldn't help but wince, the atmosphere in the room had suddenly become far more hostile, the warm orange glow suddenly felt as if it were radiating off of a house consuming inferno, ignited by the two siblings. "So, you three are Yasmin's team, eh?" the young man's gaze settled on Lariah.

"Yes, we are." Lariah responded, almost challengingly to Rhuber's attitude. It seemed she too could sense the tonal shift in the room. "Yasmin's a great teammate, she's a skilled huntress."

"Huntress in training." Rhuber corrected her. "You can call yourselves huntsmen when you graduate. For now, you're just kids with weapons." Rhuber snickered, though Cedar couldn't help but wonder how he could say that seeing as he didn't seem much older than them.

"I am not a kid with a weapon!" Lariah growled slightly.

"Now see here, less not go startin' up trouble. We're here ta' relax after all." Isaac attempted to calm the situation.

"No trouble, just stating the truth." Rhuber leaned back slightly. "And my baby sister has a looooong way to go. I bet she hasn't even mentioned the family spirits yet, has she?" That drew their attention to Yasmin. Cedar was curious what a 'family spirit' was exactly, but that contemplation would have to wait until later. Yasmin also seemed to quieten down at the mention of it. "That's what I thought. How's it feel, knowing your teammate has secrets being kept from you?" Cedar felt an uncomfortable jab in his stomach at that, knowing how he'd kept a secret from his team.

"It's not important right now." Yasmin interjected. "I know you insist upon showing superiority around me Rhuber, but if you don't stop i'm going to tell dad."

"Tattletale. What are you, 5?" Rhuber sneered, rubbing a hand under his nose as his tone turned suddenly sour. Their dad must have a lot of sway in the family, Cedar thought as he shakily sipped his tea.

"Dinner's ready!" Mrs Ginshi called from the dining room. Rhuber smiled thinly.

"Maybe we should settle this with another duel, after dinner?" He challenged her.

"Not today." Yasmin shook her head. "...over the weekend, perhaps." she returned a smile and suddenly, the rival siblings seemed on equal footing. As they left for the kitchen ahead of Cedar and co, the Faunus just watched with concern. But for now it seemed at rest, enough that they could go and eat at least.

Everyone began seating themselves around a long wooden dining table, Peony was setting places for 8 people in total. Yasmin spoke up once Cedar, Isaac and Lariah had sat down.

"Where's Dad?"

"He'll be in soon, he's just working on the garden with your uncle." Mrs Ginshi replied as she set plates out.

"Was. I left him to it." a large man suddenly interrupted her, strolling into the dining room. Much like Rhuber, Cedar's eyes were drawn to his hair, a bright orange with two notable black stripes, a broad smile on his weather beaten face. "Now then, where's my little flower?" He moved behind Yasmin's seat and wrapped her up in his arms in a big hug.

"Hello uncle Liquorice." she replied cordially, somewhat crushed in her uncle's grip but seemingly alright with it.

"And these must be your friends!" Liquorice released her, surveying Cedar and the others, though his eyes focused on Lariah. "Not a bad bunch at all! I've never seen a girl your age with such good musculature!"

"Thank you, sir!" Lariah immediately rolled up one of her sleeves and flexed a bicep. Uncle Liquorice followed suit, the two having a flex off. Yasmin covered her eyes in embarrassment and Rhuber just snickered, amused by their odd interaction.

"No guns at the table, you two." Peony giggled as she set a bowl down in the table and a rich aroma of spices hit Cedar like a lead weight, such a complex and spicy aroma smelt amazing!

"Sorry P." Liquorice grinned as he took a seat. A loud scraping sound suddenly drew their eyes to the head of the table where one final figure was taking a seat. Cedar felt a slight chill run down his spine, this man's sheer presence seemed to unfold across the table and shroud the room in an aura of authority. The man's stern face betrayed nothing, his beady eyes darting between those around the table, his brown hair done up in a topknot spoke of great tradition and history. There was no doubt, to Cedar at least, this man was the anchor of the family.

"Father." Yasmin nodded at him as he sat, her expression neutral.

"Yasmin." He replied with another slight nod. The communication between them was astounding. Cedar wondered if Yasmin's relationship with her father was strained.

"Ginseng honey, how's the bonsai coming along?" Peony wrapped her arms around her presumed husband's neck and embraced him.

"Very well." he replied. "Not much trimming needed."

"Oh i'm glad." Peony smiled, removing herself from him. "Well, enough of plants, it's time to eat!"

Cedar wasn't very familiar with Mistrallian cuisine. Aside from ordering a few takeout meals of it, he had little knowledge beyond the battered chicken balls. He found himself needing help picking through the food presented on the table, the dinner guests helping themselves to the large swathes of food. There was a large bowl of rice, Cedar at least knew what _that_ was. There was an unusual yellowish broth with rice in it that he was told was rice wine soup. He'd had no idea you could make soup out of rice.

Then there was a collection of yellow vegetable looking scraps. A taste made Cedar think they were cabbage but the flavour seemed unusual, sweet and sour all at once! Then there were these odd little packages of pastry which contained meat, Cedar thought it was pork as he ate one. And finally the sweet and sour pork which dominated the meal. Its rich flavour had the Faunus reeling in his seat from the taste, it was so utterly astounding.

"Mrs Ginshi?" Isaac spoke up, midway through the meal. "Mind iffin' I ask how ya cooked this here pork? Mah family grilled meat all the time an' I never tasted it this good."

"Ah, it was sauteed dear." Mrs Ginshi replied with the warmest smile, dabbing her lips with her napkin. "And my husband cured it. We used a pinch of fire dust in the cooking to give it a special edge."

"Usin' dust in cookin… wow." Isaac chuckled. "We'd be lucky iffin' we could use it to power our machines, let alone use it in cookin'!"

"Oh you poor thing." Mrs Ginshi looked at him sadly.

"Never would've guessed the Vacuo guy was poor." Rhuber snickered, only to receive a rolled up ball of napkins to the face, striking him in the eye like a cannonball. "Ow! Mom!"

"Mind your manners, Rhuber." Peony shook her head. "Yasmin's friends are still our guests, so treat them respectfully."

"It was only a j-" he was silenced when the steely glare of Ginseng fell upon him. The redheaded boy quietened down and got back to eating, thankfully. Before they knew it, the plates were clean and empty. Cedar only realised he'd had second and third helpings by the time he'd finished and his stomach was practically pushing out from under his shirt. He groaned and slid back in his chair, feeling incredibly full.

"Enjoy yourself there, dear?" Mrs Ginshi smiled at the sight of him.

"It was soooo goooood." Cedar groaned dreamily, eyes half lidded as the memory of the food's taste and smell still haunted his senses.

"Fantastic as usual, P!" Liquorice chuckled richly, rubbing his hands together. "Gourmet chefs couldn't pull off what you can do with food!"

"What would you know about gourmet cooking, Liquorice?" Peony sighed and smiled.

"You three." Ginseng suddenly stated, turning his gaze upon most of team Icicle. Cedar felt his gaze boring into his own as those authoritative eyes looked over them. "You assisted Yasmin in wrongdoing. Explain." the atmosphere at the dinner table suddenly felt cold and oppressive. Cedar knew he must have been referring to looking at the school medical records.

"Father please, we discus-" Yasmin tried to interrupt, but when her father raised his hand, she was silent. A response was awaited with bated breath.

"Sir." it was Isaac who spoke first, his calm demeanour unwavering to Ginseng's presence. "We came ta the decision as a team. We had a problem ta deal with an' we did what we thought was needed ta' stop a troublemakin' bunch fellers."

"Yeah!" Lariah chipped in, leaning forward with renewed gusto. "Sure it was risky, but we were targeted! It was our responsibility to stop them!" whilst Liquorice seemed impressed at her outburst, Ginseng remained unmoved. Now he turned upon Cedar.

"And you?"

Silence. All eyes were on Cedar. The pressure was familiar, but this time it hit a deeper nerve. These weren't strangers, they were people important to his teammate. And from Mr Ginshi's oppressive gaze, he felt a deep need to show his worth. It was like taking the entrance exams all over again. He took a deep breath, his fox ears poking up before he responded.

"I trusted my teammate." He replied, looking at Yasmin. "She said she knew what she was doing… And, after she helped me, I wanted to return the favour. To show that I can learn to trust my team, as a huntsman in training should." He almost felt a sense of pride as he spoke, puffing out his chest just a little. Ginseng remained quiet… until suddenly, he gave him the slightest of nods.

"Good. Trust is very good." He seemed pleased. And just like that, the oppressive atmosphere seemed to lighten and the evening returned to a pleasant state.

"Hah! If you're good at anything G, it's scaring kids." Liquorice laughed raucously, slapping him on the back. Rhuber almost looked disappointed.

"Now, how about some dessert?" Mrs Ginshi broke the ice. "It's red bean soup with orange zest tonight!" Cedar winced slightly. He may have managed to navigate Ginseng's loaded question, but eating more after stuffing himself on pork and rice may just be a harder challenge.

* * *

"Your family are really cool, Yasmin." Lariah said as she got changed in the ensuite bathroom.

"I'm glad you thought so… sometimes they can be a bit much for me." she replied, slipping off her floral dress.

"Ahuh. That Rhuber guy especially, what's his problem?" Lariah frowned, poking her head through her shirt's neckhole.

"He is simply as a brother is." Yasmin sighed. "He enjoys his superiority and enjoys reminding me of my place."

"He's a jerk."

"He certainly is." The girls continued this back and forth as they readied for bed.

After dessert, Peony had insisted that the three of them stay the night in Yasmin's bedroom. She'd found sleeping rolls for them and even some spare clothes to use as pajamas. This left Cedar in a pair of shorts decorated with cartoon chickens that Rhuber apparently wore when he was 14. The Faunus lamented his slim, short frame.

"Cheer up." Isaac patted his shoulder. "S'just fer one night." The large boy had squeezed into stringy grey shirt.

"Yeah I know." Cedar smiled slightly, his ears perking up. "Yasmin's dad was super intense tonight, huh?"

"That feller sure does know how ta control a room." Isaac agreed, a hand on his chin. "Not sure I appreciate the probin' questions… but I guess he was just wantin' to know Yasmin is workin' with the right folks."

"That's the long and short of it." Yasmin agreed, emerging from the bathroom in her elegant silk nightie, just decent enough to not be flashing anything but enticing enough to draw Cedar's eye. "Father expects only the best from me, my team included… I'm sorry for his behaviour."

"Aww cmon it was fine!" Lariah disagreed, wearing a baggy shirt over what Cedar hoped was shorts, hidden from view under the shirt hem. "We handled it and Cedar said that cool line too!"

"It wasn't that cool." Cedar smiled humbly.

"You kidding?! He was super impressed!" Lariah slapped him on the back, making the Faunus stumble. He didn't try to avoid taking the compliment any further.

"I am glad it was a pleasant night." Yasmin said in a relieved manner. "Hopefully, should I ever have the pleasure of meeting your families, events will be less turbulent."

"Well not unless ya wanna head out ta' Vacuo." Isaac chuckled in his bedroll. "It'd take more than a coupla trips ta make it back home fer me."

"My family's up in Vale, too." Lariah explained, leaning on her elbows, head in her hands. "They're great, I'd love to have you guys meet them sometime!"

"And you're local, if I recall correctly." Yasmin addressed Cedar. "So i'm sure we could perchance meet your family sometime?"

"Oh uh…" Cedar quietened down a little. "Sure, Dad loves to cook for people." he nodded.

"Oooh this is all so exciting to think about." Lariah giggled, wiggling on the spot. Cedar smiled wryly. Deep down, he would love to take them home to meet his mom and dad… just, maybe not yet. Not until he got something more important sorted out… with her. His thoughts were interrupted by a loud yawn escaping his lips.

"I concur, it's time to sleep." Yasmin giggled slightly. Together, team Icicle settled down for bed, Yasmin sleeping in her own bed nearby with the other three bundled upon her floor. The night settled over them like a comfortable blanket, a good meal and good company settling them down for a long dreamy night.

* * *

Cedar suddenly awoke, sitting up in his bedroll. His eyes snapped open and darted around, the darkness instinctively setting off some minor survival instincts. His weary eyes slowly adjusted… he was safe. His teammates were sleeping soundly around him. But his throat was incredibly parched. Maybe it was the fault of that salty pork… he needed a drink.

He stood up and gingerly crept over to the door, gently pushing it open and escaping into the hall. He crept towards the kitchen and fetched a glass from the cupboard, running the nearby tap to fill it up. He'd helped Mrs Ginshi with the dishes after the meal, so he'd had a decent idea of where the crockery and cups lived in the kitchen. He drained his glass quickly and sighed happily, feeling the cooling rush in his system. He'd probably regret it in the morning, but right now, it set him back at ease.

But that didn't last. One of his ears pricked up as a noise from a nearby open window drew his attention. It was loud, sudden, the sound of shattering glass.

And it was close.


	13. V1C13: Batter Up!

**Volume 1**

Chapter 13: Batter up!

Seized by curiosity, Cedar found himself running down the street toward the sound of shattering glass. He'd been quick about getting out, throwing on his jacket, jeans and shoes before running out into the night. Vault was still and quiet, the cold night air nipping his skin as he ran, the cracked moon shining down upon the darkened dwellings he passed, casting strange shadows. He still wasn't sure why he was going to check this loud noise out, but he had a gut feeling that the shattering glass meant something was wrong. Or maybe it was just indigestion from the pork.

Another smashing sound drew him down a short alleyway, across a road and then, he spotted it. Cedar had entered a shopping district and across the road, he could see shattered glass from the broken windows of one of the shops. This was where the noise was coming from

The sign read "Dust to dust" in gold cursive, so Cedar presumed it was a Dust shop. Closer inspection of the displays confirmed this, he could see large colourful jewels set on cushions, along with bowls of sparkling powder. Cedar was familiar with Dust but he'd never been to an upscale shop like this one. He could see the glass had been broken on the front door and on the left unit, the Dust once on display was missing. And upon spotting why it was missing, he quickly ducked behind a large dustbin.

There were men around the shop. Men in unassuming clothes, hoodies, jackets, caps on their heads and casting shadows over their faces. But a second glance at their hands revealed they were armed, some clutching onto pistols whilst others were packing uzis. More men were walking in and out of the shop, lugging large crates around the wall and toward the back. Cedar could tell those crates contained even more Dust.

Another smash made his ears quiver, more glass broken by a thug bumping into it as he moved a crate.

"For Oum's sake, guys." a voice berated them. "Fourth time now, you trying to wake up the whole town?" following the voice, Cedar spied a haggard looking man in a baseball jersey and cap, a metal baseball bat resting at his shoulder. The bat had a noticeable pink lightning bolt symbol painted onto it.

"Sorry man, they're heavy." the man carrying the crate grunted.

"Well suck it up. Just a couple dozen more and we'll have a nice big payday. Just watch where you swing that blasted box, ok?" the man with the bat replied. He seemed to be leading them.

Cedar gathered all he could about the situation at hand. These men were robbers, stealing Dust in the middle of town, they all seemed to be armed and led by a man with a baseball bat. This was real. Wasn't it a huntsman's duty to stop criminals like this? Well he was only a student… and these guys seemed kinda professional with their weapons. Still, he felt an urge tugging at him, to get out there and stop them. Or at least call the police… no, by the time they got here, they'd be gone. He needed some kind of plan…

He took out his scroll and first, called on his rocket locker. It'd bring his weapon to him so he had a fighting chance. After that, he called the police and explained the situation, giving his name too. When he hung up, his locker landed beside him. He yanked it open, removing his weapon and hip quiver, slipping it around his waist. Now he was armed. All he had to do now was come up with a plan of attack.

"Hey!" Cedar tried to shout as loud as he could, stepping out of the shadows with Rundasbane behind his back. It sounded more like a loud squeak, but it drew the robbers attention. Most seemed confused at the young Faunus' arrival. The man with the bat sighed.

"Great." He turned to look at him, his expression disinterested. "Yeah? Whaddya want, kid?" Well, Cedar hadn't been expecting a response like that… he'd been expecting something more like 'who're you?!' or 'oh no, we've been discovered!' or some other villainous utterance. Oh well, he'd make do.

"What're you doing?!" He continued to try and sound intimidating.

"Oh that?" He glanced back at his men who'd stopped carrying the boxes. "Were removal men. We're uh, moving stock. Owner's moving to Vale." the sarcasm in his voice was irritatingly thick.

"Then why're you smashing glass, huh?!"

"We weren't very well paid." the man rolled his eyes. "Look, kid, do us a favour and just go away. It'll be best for both of us." his nonchalant attitude was really getting under Cedar's skin.

"I can't just do that! I'm a huntsman in training, It'll be my job to stop people like you." He said, a little proudly. The man just shook his head.

"Geeze, what do they drill into these kids?" He took his bat off of his shoulder. "You're out of your league. You can't stop all of us, so just turn around and leave. I seriously don't want hurting a kid on my conscience." He wasn't backing down. Cedar would have to make a move.

"If I run now, I won't live it down either. So… I'll stop you!" with that, he whipped out his crossbow and fired at one of the men with uzis. The bolt struck him in the leg, unleashing a surge of electricity, zapping the goon and making him fall down.

"Frank!" the man with the bat gasped, his men equally shocked. "Well don't just stand there! Shoot him!" He quickly barked and his men followed suit, firing at Cedar. He quickly dashed for the nearby cover of a parked car. Shots pinged and bounced off the metal as he tried to think out his next move. "Keep him pinned down and keep moving the merch! Cops are gonna come snooping with all this noise." the bat man commanded, reaching into his pocket and taking out a baseball. He winded his arm back and tossed it over to the car.

Cedar glanced as the ball came to rest beside him… and grimaced when it started beeping! Was it explosive?!

He stumbled out of cover just in time as the ball exploded, taking the car with it. The blast knocked Cedar off his feet, falling onto his front. He scrabbled on the stone pavement as he felt gunshots pepper his aura. He scrambled quickly to escape, diving behind a wall. He caught his breath. He had to act fast or he'd get another explosive baseball sent his way. Quickly reloading his crossbow, his head formulated a plan.

He rushed out and fired three bolts into the ground around him. He'd loaded earth bolts, so when they hit the pavement, three rocky formations rose up and formed a makeshift barrier around him. With his final bolt, he aimed between the cracks of his rocky shielding and fired at one of the pistol wielding henchmen. Another electrical bolt struck him and he went down in a fit of frenzied shocks.

"Can you guys really not shoot one kid?" The batter chided them as his men spread out to better cover Cedar's blockade. Cedar peeped between the gaps in his rocky shield and fired bolts back. But this time his bolts missed as his opponents moved into cover, getting wise to his tactics. He spied the bat man taking out another baseball too, his cover wouldn't protect him from that. He had to remain mobile as much as possible.

One quick reload later, he ran out into the open, firing more bolts to force some of the gunners into cover and then ducking into an alleyway, narrowly missing another baseball as he went. Trying to peek out and fire back, his shot went wide and the gunners kept him pinned down. He winced as he reloaded again. The gunmen were too spread out to cover and he couldn't get a clean shot on those moving the crates! He couldn't stop them, not at this rate! What could he do…

The sharp sound of a violin chord broke the rattling hail of gunfire and from cover, Cedar spied a glowing ribbon of curling energy rushing through the air, striking one of the gunmen and sending him flying. All attention was drawn to the nearby rooftop where a girl was standing, a blue violin in her hands Her violet hair was tossed in the night breeze, her silhouette shadowing the street in the moonlight behind her. She played another chord and from the neck of her violin, another ribbon of energy shimmered and hit another gunman, akin to a serpent soaring through the sky.

"Where do these kids keep popping up from?!" The batter growled as his men now turned their attention onto her. The girl leapt down off the roof and Cedar watched her run. He popped out of his hiding spot to provide cover fire with his arrows, shooting fire bolts at the gunmen to throw off their aim. The girl skidded across the ground into cover with him.

"Thank you." she smiled sweetly as she moved in beside him. Cedar recognised her now.

"You're Violetta, right? Team Vesper?"

"That's right."

"What're you doing out here?"

"I was practicing late in the garden, then I heard gunfire nearby." she explained, rattling that off like it was totally normal. Right now, Cedar felt no need to question it. "I felt compelled to intervene. I do hope the police are on their way."

"They are, I called them." Cedar assured her. "But for now, we need to keep them busy. They're still moving the dust behind the shop." Violetta idly tugged the ribbon in her hair with the hand clutching her bow.

"Let's go out either side of this cover. We'll split their focus and we can fire back." she said, holding up her violin. Even after Stizza's flute, the idea of a musical instrument as a weapon still baffled him. But her plan seemed sound enough. He nodded in agreement and prepared to move.

Together they burst from cover on either side. Violetta's symphonic soundwaves arced through the air, forcing the goons into hiding. Cedar fired ice bolts toward the men hurriedly carrying crates, slipping them up and making them fall down. Then he turned his sights on their leader, the man with the bat. Surely if he could best him, he'd be able to stop the rest of them too. Their eyes locked as Cedar fired his last bolt at him.

The man didn't even flinch. He gripped his bat with both hands and swung it in a sweeping strike, hitting Cedar's bolt out of the air entirely, clattering harmlessly into the ground.

"Not a chance." the batter said dismissively. Cedar switched weapon mode and rushed at him, sword drawn. Time to put his training to use, he thought!

He attacked with a overhead diagonal slash, which his opponent blocked with his bat, metal clashing against metal. Cedar reeled his arm back and pointed his blade, lunging forward This time the batter side stepped and brought his weapon round into Cedar's face.

THWACK! The bat sent Cedar reeling, feeling his aura drain from the blow. The man raised his bat to bring it down in an overhead swing. This time Cedar blocked with the flat of Rundasbane. Then he quickly lifted a leg and booted the man in the stomach.

The batter grunted but quickly recovered. They came at each other in a pair of swift strikes, the batter had superior strength as every blow beat away at Cedar's stamina. He was on the back foot as the batter swung again and again, his sturdy weapon making Cedar's arm quiver.

Calling on his training, Cedar nimbly dodged to one side and spun around, catching the batter on the backswing of his weapon, slashing him across his middle. Just as the Faunus was about to capitalise on it, the batter stopped him with a heavy shoulder tackle, stumbling him backwards. Then he wound up and swung, another swooping blow to Cedar's face. He was knocked backwards, landing hard on the pavement.

"C'mon kid, enough." his opponent sighed, holding his weapon in both hands. "This is embarrassing for both of us."

"No!" Cedar snapped, springing back onto his feet. "I won't run! I am not a coward!" He put his all into a running strike, gritting his teeth as anger was driving him.

It turned out to be a near fatal mistake. The batter suddenly bent the handle of his weapon and pumped the shaft, the entire weapon changing into a 12 gauge shotgun. And just as Cedar realised it, it fired upon him. He took the full brunt of the blast, buckshot scattering across his body and sending him backward, his aura breaking as he fell to the ground again. He felt concentrated spikes of pain all across his body, making him cry out in pain. It hurt so much, he couldn't get up. He could do nothing but lay there, holding himself in agony. And worse still, his attacker advanced on him. He pointed the weapon down at him, the black barrel of the shotgun looking akin to a hideous abyss of death, scaring him. The threat of a grim end felt very real and it was shaking him to his core, his eyes wide and feverish like a trapped animal.

"See this? This is what happens to kids who punch above their own weight." the bat man spoke down to him over the sights of his weapon. He pumped the shotgun and Cedar flinched, fearing a final fatal shot. But then his enemy turned, his gaze looking over to his men. Cedar too followed his gaze with his streaming eyes. Violetta was struggling against the gunners, her ribbons of energy weren't hitting their mark and she'd taken damage, hissing through her teeth and holding her shoulder. They were too inexperienced to be handling this. How foolish he'd been, Cedar thought, watching the violet haired girl ducking into cover once again. The batter turned back to him and gingerly, stepped back, returning his weapon into bat mode. A look of pity crossed his face at this scared Faunus cowering at his feet.

"...I know you're not used to this… well, neither am I." he turned back to his men. "Alright, enough messing around, we've got enough stock. Let's shift this stuff already."

Cedar could only watch in his wounded state as the men he'd shot down earlier were recovering and preparing to move out. The feeling of failure settled on him like a damp blanket, wrapping around the searing pain he felt and no doubt, the same shame Violetta was feeling. They'd been ambitious and brave, but stupid… now, all he could do was watch them go.

Suddenly something went shooting overhead and struck one of the gunmen in the shoulder. It was white fletched arrow but Cedar hadn't fired it. The thug fell down with a shout of pain and all eyes turned to the shooter. Crouched on a nearby rooftop, her white hair shining in the moonlight, Peony Ginshi drew back her bow and unleashed another arrow, taking down a second gunman.

"Damnit, cmon!" The batter grimaced and tried to hurry his men, some returning fire on the woman. Their attention was so drawn, they didn't notice the great ball of metal flinging toward one of the men holding the crate. It knocked him in the chin and knocked him head over heels. By the time the second noticed what had happened, a chain was wrapping around him and ended with the hammer bashing him in the forehead, knocking him out cold where he stood.

"Strrrrrike!" Bellowed the jovial voice of Liquorice Ginshi, reeling in his weapon and swinging it around his arm, his grin wide on his face. The gunmen continued to flee, backing up and firing to cover their tracks, Liquorice spinning his weapon around to block their bullets whilst Peony rained arrows upon them. Once they entered the alleyway leading behind the dust shop, they seemed to be home free. That was, until another mysterious attacker dropped from above.

Cedar recognised the attacker by his red hair as he drew a song sword and started swinging at the gunmen. One went down, another swung at him from behind with his pistol. The redhead turned and lashed with his foot and for just a second, Cedar was certain he saw a strange flaming aura around his foot in the shape of a bird's claw, sending the gunman into the wall.

"Pssh, barely worth a challenge." Rhuber boasted, spinning to spot a gunman opening fire on him. He leapt backward, higher than any person could normally leap and once again, Cedar spied a flaming aura, this time from his back in the shape of wings. Then Rhuber drew the scabbard from his belt and pointed it, firing akin to a rifle and shooting down the gunman attacking him.

"Can't a guy catch a break?" The batter growled, tossing another baseball toward Rhuber. The redhead ducked but then the ball bounced off the wall behind him and smacked him in the back of the head. The batter used this chance to rush past him and get behind the shop. With a trio of revving engines, vehicles drove around the front of the shop. There were two large trucks, no doubt loaded up with the stolen dust and the third was a chopper style motorbike, ridden by the batter himself. Peony rained arrows on the trucks and Rhuber fired his scabbard rifle, but the shots did little to slow their movement. It looked like they were going to escape.

That was when Ginseng Ginshi strode into the road, his beady sharp eyes fixated on one of the trucks. He held one hand forward and the other to his chest, a stance akin to martial arts, his body glowing with burning red energy, his aura flashing like fire. Then he lunged forth with the hand at his chest and from it, a great surge pf burning energy shot forth in the shape of a dragon. The beast went straight for one of the trucks and opened its jaws, biting down upon its engine and stopping it dead in its tracks, flames licking over the hood and windscreen. Ginseng noticeably struggled to hold it in place against the screeching tires and roaring engine, but the dragon held firm, long enough for Liquorice to yank the driver out of his seat with his meteor hammer. But the other truck and the criminal ringleader raced past them onto the main road, driving off into the night before they could stop it. They had escaped.

The wailing of police sirens brought the little event to a close, uniformed officers flooding the scene and arresting and subduing the robbers left behind whilst their cars chased the escaping vehicles down. Cedar found himself with a thermal blanket round his shoulders as he sat on the street kerb, feeling small and forlorn in the swelling crowd.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Peony sat beside him, her kind face a welcome sign after all of tonight's events.

"...no." Cedar shook his head. "I tried to fight them, but I wasn't nearly skilled enough. I was so dumb…" A slender arm wrapped around his shoulders and he found the white haired woman embracing him. It felt so akin to his own mother...

"It's alright." she assured him. "You are still young, you have so much more to learn and explore about yourself. Today you discovered a courage and righteousness inside of you. Hang on to those feelings, a great huntsman often bears both." she assured him, her words soothing Cedar after his great fear with fighting the man with the bat. He sighed slightly.

"Thank you, ma'am." he looked at her. "I can um, see where Yasmin gets her skills from. You're all professional hunters, right?"

"That's right." Peony nodded. "The police forwarded a call to us since we were closer to the crime scene, so we came right over. You did the right thing calling them." she reminded him, her hand patting him on the head. His fox ears flattened slightly, but it felt nice.

"So… that dragon. What was that?" he asked her, recalling Ginseng's strange burning projection, as well as the ones he'd seen from Rhuber.

"Family spirits." He was answered by Ginseng who now approached him, the large man looking as stoic and strong as before. "A semblance passed down through the Ginshi clan. Through training, we discover our animal spirit and call them forth as an ally." Hereditary semblances? Cedar remembered hearing about those once long ago, didn't the Schnee family also have that? He'd never seen it in action like that before! That was so cool!

"Does Yasmin have that too?" He asked, curious of his teammate. Ginseng nodded slightly.

"We believe so, but she has yet to unlock it. We hope that her training at Lustre Academy will bring it forth." Peony answered, standing back up beside her husband.

"We'll help her find it!" Cedar nodded enthusiastically. "I'm still learning about my semblance too, so i'm sure we can work together and unlock them!."

"That's good to hear." Peony smiled sweetly. Cedar finally felt a little calmer and better about the night. He might've failed to stop the man but, at least he'd tried and called for help. That was what mattered.

"Excuse me, young man." an officer approached him, the Faunus standing up shakily. "We've collected a statement from your friend concerning the perp's identity. Could you please describe him?" Cedar remembered him well, he described his clothes, his voice, his attitude and his weapon. The policeman seemed very convinced once he finished.

"Yep, sounds like Payton alright." The officer concluded.

"Payton?"

"Yes, Payton Pink, the star baseball killer." The officer affirmed. "Killed a man stone dead on the pitch, now he's been up and down the continent, stealing dust and weapons." Cedar gulped slightly. That whole killing a man with a baseball line sent a shiver up his spine. If he'd had that kind of power behind those balls he threw, Cedar was surely lucky to be alive.

"Well, it was manslaughter, not murder." Another officer reminded the first.

"Eh, i'm going by what the courts ruled." he shrugged, the two returning to cleaning up the scene and questioning the robbers.

"Cedar!" He was drawn out of his musings by a familiar voice. Yasmin was rushing over wrapped in a dressing gown, Lariah and Isaac not too far behind. He felt more happy to see them than ever before.

"Guys!" he ran to meet them. Yasmin even threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. "Mother said she'd gotten a call from the police and we saw you weren't in your bed!"

"You worried us!" Lariah frowned, though she joined Yasmin in the hug. Isaac refrained but his usual neutral calm was bent by a troubled frown.

"Ya sure did cause a ruckus though…" Isaac surveyed the area, noting the destroyed property, bullet holes and broken glass.

"I tried." Cedar smiled sadly. "Think i've still got a lot to learn."

"I think you did just fine." Violetta smiled, approaching them with a blanket over her shoulders. "Considering we both bumped into this and helped each other." her honest eyes put Cedar at ease in all this chaos.

"If it's alright with you guys… I wanna go back to bed now." the adrenaline had worn off and Cedar was suddenly feeling tired again. Together with the Ginshi family, they made their way back home to sleep off this late night encounter, even as Cedar's thoughts lingered on the batter who had refused to steal his life. The police said he was a killer, but he'd seemed so reluctant to fight and he hadn't fired that shot that could've ended him.

Was he truly a murderer?


	14. V1C14: Downtime Downtown

**Volume 1**

Chapter 14: Downtime Downtown

Cedar didn't even remember falling asleep, he passed out the moment his head hit the pillow. The fight at the dust shop had tired him out so much, he slept dreamlessly. Darkness receded in seconds to a bright new day and Cedar felt well rested. Except for the bruises left by the shotgun blast.

A delicious breakfast helped to pep him up a bit. There was much discussion about last night's events, how Cedar had been brave for taking on a criminal by himself. Even Rhuber admitted Cedar had 'serious balls' to do what he did, which earned him a strike from Peony and quiet surprise from Yasmin. Isaac helped with the washing up and the team took their leave of Yasmin's house, but not before Peony provided Cedar with several plastic boxes of leftovers from last night. The Faunus face lit up at the prospect. Once they were off of the Ginshi's property, Isaac looked to his teammates.

"Well pardners." he began. "What shall we do today?"

"Hm? What do you mean?" Lariah asked.

"It's Saturday and we ain't got no school or studyin'. So what should we do?" that seemed to stump them as a chorus of uncertain humming followed.

"Perhaps a day around town?" Yasmin suggested.

"That'd be cool! But uh, where would we go?" Lariah chimed in. No-one had an answer for her.

"Cedar?" Yasmin said.

"Hm?" The Faunus was broken from his own ruminations.

"You're local, perhaps you can show us around town?"

"But, don't you live here too Yasmin?"

"We moved in just before term started, I'm afraid I'm still lacking in direction." she smiled at him sweetly.

"Yeah! Show us around, man!" Lariah nudged his shoulder. Isaac also nodded in agreement. Cedar blinked as he realised he'd been thrust into the role of tour guide.

"Um, okay if you guys insist…" he shrugged, knowing as much about being a tour guide as he knew about dust mining.

"Then lead on." Yasmin said, her tone struggling between suggestive and commanding. The Faunus lead his team on as he quickly put together a plan. If he was going to be showing them Vault, he'd just have to go off of where he liked to go. In that case...

* * *

A short walk brought team ICYL out of the residential areas and into the centre of town, the commerce area. As with most of the houses in Vault, the buildings used by businesses were built with smooth, white stone which looked especially lustrous in the morning sunlight, contrasting shadows cast in their doorways and over their displays. Most were built with simple flat rooftops and open windows, but some had unique domed constructions topping them, painted red and orange to match the local flora and fauna. The same white stone had been used for the pavement too. Red grass was commonplace with little patches running alongside the pathways like rivers of lava.

The commercial district was an older part of Vault so it featured small businesses and shops scratching out their living in the picturesque town. Cedar had been here plenty of times, running errands for his parents, racing over the rooftops in his own little huntsman training sessions and of course, in his own spare time. Specifically, he came to one shop in particular. Drury bakery, the quaint little patisserie on the corner. No matter what time of day it was, passing by the shop was bound to make him hungry.

"A bakery? Odd choice considering we just had breakfast." Yasmin said, unconvinced.

"Trust me, it's well worth it." Cedar assured her, leading her through the door. The interior was warm and welcoming, the intoxicating aroma of pastries, bread and cinnamon wafting over them. The shop was empty besides two kids looking over a display of cookies.

"Hello Cedar!" a cheerful voice greeted them as a round faced man in a toque and apron emerged from behind the counter.

"Hi Murphy." The Faunus replied with a smile.

"Bringing some new friends, I see?" the baker asked.

"Yeah. They're my teammates." he said, a little proudly.

"Of course they are, good for you young man." Murphy was so cheerful it was contagious, Cedar found himself blushing. "Now, what can I do for all of you?"

"Cinnamon roll please." Cedar said instantly.

"Hmmm… guess I'll have mahself a pretzel." Isaac said.

"Ooh ooh, can I have a pizza slice?" Lariah asked eagerly.

"I suppose I'll play it safe with an iced bun." Yasmin shrugged. They all paid separately and took their food in little paper bags with a cheerful goodbye from Murphy. One by one, his teammates tasted the toasty treats and Cedar could see their faces light up at the taste.

"This is really good!" Lariah gasped. "I didn't know bakery pizza could be this gooey!" she said, strings of cheese hanging off her slice.

"Mighty fine pretzel this." Isaac nodded, a smile on his lips as Cedar noticed he'd already eaten the whole thing.

"Hm. I suppose it's alright." Yasmin was unimpressed, causing Cedar to feel a slight pang of defeat. "I take it you come here a lot?" Cedar nodded quickly.

"I love sweets. And Murphy's such a nice guy, so I come here a lot." he said between mouthfuls of cinnamon and dough.

"Get back here you little scoundrels!" a shout from the shop put pain to Cedar's words as two kids hurried out of the shop, the doughy baker pursuing in far slower steps.

In a split second, Yasmin dashed after the two kids, racing up the street. She vaulted off of a nearby wall, soared overhead and landed right in their path, making the kids skid to a halt. Before they could turn and run, Yasmin activated her semblance, two copies of her springing up behind them, forming a perfect circle.

"It's very rude to steal." She spoke down to the two startled thieves, their arms cradling their precious prizes of gingerbread men.

"We didn't steal!" The boy snapped at her. "We paid for it, Murphy's just being a jerk!"

"Yeah, we paid for it." the girl nodded quickly, brown hair swishing around her head.

"Is that why you're running?" Yasmin asked, arms folded. "Innocent people don't run."

"I ran because he shouted at us…" The boy frowned.

"You little... brats…!" Murphy puffed and panted slightly as he came over to them. "I told you… you have… to pay for… those!"

"We did!" The girl insisted. "We left the money on the counter! Uncle gave us enough for sweets today!"

"Is that true?" Yasmin questioned Murphy, the baker wiping his brow.

"I didn't… see any… money." Murphy replied, still regaining his breath.

"Then perhaps we should verify, you two don't mind that, do you?" Yasmin looked slyly at the two brown haired children. They nodded defiantly. When they returned to the bakers, much to their surprise, a few small Lien cards had indeed been left on the counter. Murphy looked stunned.

"What? I didn't… how did…?"

"See?!" The boy stamped his foot. "We told you we paid for them."

"Hm…" Yasmin was equally surprised. "They seem to be right, after all. So there should be no problem, correct?" the flustered and confused baker just nodded quietly and ducked back into his shop. Yasmin turned her attention back to the kids. "Now, next time you should stop and show him the money instead of running, alright?"

"Yes miss." The girl nodded and smiled sweetly. "We'll remember for next time."

"Good." Yasmin nodded. Cedar approached with the rest of their team.

"That was pretty well handled, Yasmin." The Faunus complimented her. "You were right on them."

"Good instincts'n then some." Isaac added. The two kids looked at team ICYL with amusement.

"Are you guys hunters or something?" the boy asked.

"In training." Lariah said quickly. "But we will be one day!" as if she was trying to show off to them.

"That's pretty cool." The girl said, looking between them, then at Yasmin. "So you're the leader, right?"

"...no." The way Yasmin's face drained slightly of colour got a giggle out of the kids. "What are your names, anyway?"

"I'm Hans." the boy introduced himself, bowing slightly.

"And i'm Gretchen." The girl added, doing a curtsy with her skirt.

"So you two must be siblings, and if I had to guess, twins?" Yasmin theorised. On closer inspection, Cedar could see the close resemblance. The same chestnut brown hair, the same fair skin, the same forest green eyes, heck even the same smile.

"That's right." They said in unison.

"How nice that must be." Yasmin smiled. "Now you two stay out of trouble now, okay?"

"Yes miss." The girl smiled, the boy nodding in return. The pair soon ran off down the street, hiding their crossed fingers behind their backs with treats still to be scoffed.

"Where to next, Cedar? I believe we've all finished our treats." Yasmin turned to him now the twins were gone. Good question, Cedar thought. He hadn't actually come up with their next destination himself yet. There was a lot more to see around town. He had a quick glance around the area and decided on the park next.

"Follow me, everyone!" Cedar mustered up his best 'tour guide' voice and led them deeper into the shopping district. It was a quaint, pleasant patch of nature with more ruby red grass spanning it, the familiar white and silver trees swaying in the morning breeze, all centered around a trickling stone fountain in the middle, sunlight sparkling off of the water. It was a lovely little sight and Cedar had a lot of fond memories playing here when he was younger. And admittedly a few bad ones, remembering the time he tripped into the fountain and banged his head.

After the park, he showed them around the older shopping area some more, pointing out a few places of preference. There was a small dust supplier, unlike the big one that was robbed, where Cedar frequented to purchase his dust bolts for Rundasbane. They had to pull Lariah away from the windows, she was so busy staring at a pretty display of blue water dust arranged in wavelike patterns. Then they passed by a small garage, fixing various cars. Some were simple and sleek, ideal people carriers for Vault's roads. Others meanwhile looked far more bulky, covered in armour plating, sharp spikes and even mounted firearms. These drew Isaac's attention, the cowboy muttering to himself about the designs of the junk strapped vehicles. Cedar had always assumed vehicles like these were needed in Vacuo for transport and Isaac's recognising it all but confirmed those thoughts. Once Isaac was willing to shift from the garage, Cedar led them deeper into the shopping district, passing a Mistral style tea house with herbal aromas wafting out the window. Now it was Yasmin's turn to be distracted, drawn to the building.

"Ohhhh I can smell chamomile in there… how enticing. I simply must sample their menu sometime." she gushed, an unusual childish glee shining through her usually elegant tone. Next Cedar showed them the natural hot springs, made thanks to the volcanic vents underground. Cedar had never been there himself but he'd always had it in the back of his mind, and judging by Yasmin's suggestive smirk, she was already getting ideas. To finish up the tour of Vault's older side, Cedar led them to one of the oldest buildings of all: City Hall. A grand white stone building, decorated with flapping banners of Vault's symbol and thick curved columns supporting the structure. All topped off with a rounded dome painted red at the top, easily one if the highest points in Vault. The town hall had been built early into Vault's life in order to house the council members from the other kingdoms who held sway over how Vault was run.

"I don't usually come here, but it is pretty important." Cedar said as the four of them gazed at the structure in reverence.

"Remind me, didn't Vault elect its own representative?" Yasmin asked Cedar.

"Yep, that's right. With the four delegates from the kingdoms, there was a vote to elect someone whose loyalties were in Vault itself." Cedar explained. As if on cue, they spied a man coming out of the front doors of the building. He was quite a large man, dressed in a brown fur coat, a brass handled cane in hand and a wild look in his eyes. Cedar recognised him quickly, that was the man who was the current mayor of Vault. His name was Dane Grizzly.

"Admiring the facilities?" The mayor spoke, approaching the four of them with a brisk stride, much to Cedar's surprise.

"Uhh y-yes sir!" The Faunus snapped to attention. The man laughed at his sudden change in posture.

"At ease lad, at ease! No need to be so formal!" He bellowed, almost shaking the ground with his mighty voice.

"Well i'll be, didn't expect a politician to be sportin' muscles like those." Isaac mentioned idly, hand on his chin.

"What kind of politician doesn't work out, eh?!" Dane grinned broadly. "A man can stop being a huntsman but you can't take the huntsman out of him!"

"Yeah, you can't!" Lariah agreed emphatically. "You could wrestle an Ursa like that!"

"Could? I have, young one!" Dane boasted. "Popped its noggin clean off when I was just a touch older than you." Lariah's eyes sparkled, marvelling at this titan of a man who was somehow in charge of Vault. He did come across as more of a masked wrestler to Cedar than any kind of politician, he always had even back during his TV adverts or his campaign speeches. "Now then, I hate to dash off but I must meet with Mr Rathbone about some new housing contracts. Stay in school now!" and with that, the larger than life mayor strode off, walking cane striking the ground in a manner reminiscent of Birchwood. The team watched him go, Yasmin covering her mouth with one of her fans.

"Vault is just full of strange characters, isn't it?"

"You don't know the half of it." Cedar chuckled. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying the tour of the older side of the city, but that was only half of Vault. He still had more to show them, the newer side of town. "Come on guys, there's still more to see." He was getting a little excited now, finding himself getting into the act of being a tour guide.

The next major stop was one of the newest buildings in all of Burnhambelt. The Atlas built shopping centre, a huge rounded building with three floors of shops, food and entertainment. It was covered in white and silver metal panels, curved around and bouncing the sunlight. On the inside, the bottom floor had been painted cyan blue alongside the glass and white floors, the shops on either side providing random splashes of colour. Light bubbly music echoed around them just over the sound of chattering shoppers, providing a pleasant atmosphere. The shops around them were very modern, a lot of clothing retailers with professional logos and expensive materials, jewellers and media outlets lined with films and video games. If you needed something modern, expensive and unnecessary, the Atlas shopping centre had it.

"Atlas sure builds 'em big... " Isaac said, the cowboy feeling somewhat out of place in this highly modern building. "More clean metal than I ever seen in mah life."

"I've never seen anywhere this big just for shopping." Lariah was in awe of the size of it, gazing at the mirrored ceiling above them, casting her own stupefied reflection back at her.

"It can be a little hard to take in at first." Cedar agreed, having gotten used to it over a few years. They started building the shopping centre when he was only 12. Since then he'd become more familiar with it. So naturally, he knew to show them the food court at the far end of the center, teeming with people and toting the biggest names in fast food across Remnant. Cedar had made it a point not to come here too often because he'd wind up broke from overspending on the delicious food on offer. It was like a siren song of sizzling scrumptiousness.

Leading them up an escalator, he showed them the second floor, painted a verdant green to keep the cool colours scheme of the first floor. More shops stretched out before them, these ones even more upscale than those on the ground floor. He noticed his teammates looking at the Schnee Dust Company logo on a lavish dust shop and the crown logo of Crown Jewel Enterprises when they passed a huntsman gear retailer.

"Ohh they have the newest designs in…" Yasmin lingered in the doorframe of the huntsman gear shop, gazing at the armoured gloves, the lightweight body gear and the colourful coats whose price tags flashed their prices arrogantly. Cedar would be lucky if he could ever afford just a sock from a place like this, let alone anything else. Maybe Yasmin could, what with her huntsman family.

Finally they arrived on the very top floor, painted a soft yellow with the mirrored roof hanging overhead. The top floor was more of an entertainment area, primarily housing a large cinema that Cedar had been to quite a few times now. Small silver terminals for ordering tickets stood in a line before the cinema, guarding the concession counter behind where drinks and popcorn laid in wait. Posters for upcoming films were hung on the walls beside the terminals, drawing the eye even if you weren't interested.

But the biggest reason Cedar had brought them up here was the Asteroid Alley video game arcade, a large closed off section to the left side that was blaring with crackling synthetic music and loud bleeps and bloops. The arcade itself was decorated to have a space and sci-fi aesthetic, so the ceiling was painted up like a starry sky with small swirling galaxies and bright shooting stars breaking up the darkness. Even the lights indented into the ceiling had been painted around to look like they were suns in the vastness of the cosmos. All this served as a perfect backdrop for the colourful arcade cabinets, blinking and beeping like alien devices from the stars.

"I loooove this place." Cedar had the biggest smile as he entered the arcade.

"I'll be damned." Isaac was stunned at the sight of all the blinking electronic towers.

"Sooo many games!" Lariah gawked.

"Fitting indeed. I had a feeling you liked video games." Yasmin snickered, covering her mouth with her fan.

"When I could afford them anyway." Cedar admitted, having no home video game consoles to speak of. "Come on, i'll show you some of my favourites!" The arcade wasn't very busy, despite it being a weekend, so they didn't have to wait long to play their games. First he showed them a light gun shooter about zombies, which Isaac proved to be exceedingly good at. Not one single undead escaped the cowboy's sights. Then he showed them some kind of dance based game with a pad covered in arrows, something Cedar had never had the feet or rhythm for. Yasmin however was amazing on it, her natural dexterity and agility made her a whirling dervish on the dance pad, not a single note was missed. One round of applause later, Cedar took them to a simple test of strength machine. Naturally, one solid punch from Lariah landed her the highscore. Finally, he showed them a small bank of fighting games, terminals lined up back to back so you could play against another person on the opposite machine.

"Ah i've heard of this one, Pavement Pugilism." Yasmin put a hand to her chin. "I remember seeing them in Mistral."

"I've practiced a bit." Cedar smiled, slipping some Lien into a slot in the machine to start the game. He picked a muscular karate robed character and proceeded to fight against an AI controlled opponent, his team crowding around him to watch. The Faunus felt a certain sense of pride in this game, he was no expert, but he was decent enough at it he felt comfortable showing off a little bit for his small audience. His hands flicked across the buttons and the joystick, jolting his character around and laying a good honest smackdown on his foe. Everything was going well, until a flashing message appeared.

NEW OPPONENT APPROACHING!

"What does that mean?" Lariah asked, tapping the screen.

"It means someone over there is challenging me." Cedar gestured to the other side of the cabinets, where they could see someone else was playing the game. Their clash began, his opponent controlling a female character with mechanical arms. To his surprise, his foe quickly began to control the match and dominate him with fast counters, dodges and special moves Cedar wasn't even aware this character could do. He put up a valiant fight but the gap in skill was so tangible, Cedar felt little control over his character anymore. The muscular karate master had become a limp doll for this jacked up behemoth of a woman to toy with and destroy. And then it was over, a near perfect victory.

"Ohh yeah!" A voice hollered from the other side of the cabinet, a wild haired man in his mid twenties standing up and pumping his fist in the air. "Suck on that, loser! Were you actually playing or were you just slamming your face on the buttons?!" he taunted raucously. Cedar felt that little bit of pride in the game shatter into pieces as his ears flopped.

"Get over yourself." Yasmin scolded him. "It's just a video game, that's hardly worth the insult."

"Hah! You don't even play the game, don't act so high and mighty!" he laughed, flashing a razor smile. "Actually play it, maybe then I'll value your opinion beyond a pile of mud." It was clear there was no arguing with this man so Yasmin simply ushered them out of the arcade.

"Oohh that jerk!" Lariah fumed. "Bet I could beat him in an arm wrestle."

"Sorry guys… guess that's kinda a bad way to end the tour." Cedar lamented, still collecting the shattered remnants of his short lived pride.

"Ain't yer fault Cedar." Isaac assured him, patting him between the ears. "I reckon ya did a mighty fine job. Make any trailblazer proud."

"Yeah, you did great!" Lariah added onto this by giving him a headlock of appreciation. It was a little hard to appreciate from Cedar's perspective.

"I'll admit it could have been better." Yasmin said. "But I do feel I understand the town a little more now. So thank you." Cedar smiled broadly, his broken pride piecing itself back together. Just those compliments from his teammates made him feel like this whole morning trip had been well worth it.

"Hey!" an idea suddenly flashed in Cedar's mind. "Seeing as we're here, wanna catch a movie?" he pointed over to the cinema.

"Good idea." Lariah nodded, heading right over. Isaac and Lariah agreed too. Before they knew it, they were watching Spruce Willis' latest action movie, Kill Tough. A perfect end to the tour, as far as Cedar was concerned.


	15. V1C15: In Sheep's Clothing

**Volume 1**

Chapter 15: In Sheep's Clothing

After the weekend, Cedar and his team returned to school for their last week before half term. It was amazing just how quickly time had gone by, Cedar thought. They still had a long way to go, but he could feel his skills were improving with each lesson and each sparring session he partook in. And as he walked into combat class, he hoped that feeling would continue through the lesson.

"Good morning class." Miss Lariet greeted them, hands behind her back. "Today we're going to be doing something different. We will be starting your work on team based combat, specifically in pairs." She activated the screen behind her via the terminal, this time the vs screen displayed two silhouettes either side instead of one apiece. "Naturally, team focused combat will be imperative in your further training as hunters. You must learn how to work in sync with your teammates, how to strategize and compliment the strengths of your allies whilst covering their weaknesses. You will be starting in pairs based on the teams you were sorted into, but at the start of next term, you will be working with people outside of your team as well."

"Oi, what sense does that make?!" Ozzy Wattle shouted out an interruption. "How we 'sposed to work in sync or whatever with someone we don't even know, eh?"

"Raise your hand if you have a question, Oswald." Miss Lariet scolded him. "It is indeed difficult to synchronise with someone you may not know, however it is an event likely to happen out in the field. You cannot rely on close relations all the time and you must be able to adapt quickly to survive." That answer seemed to satisfy the copper haired rabble rouser as he slumped back into his seat. "Are there any other questions before we begin the sparring?" She surveyed the class, a single hand rising in response.

"Do the rules in tournament matches change for doubles?" it was Stizza asking, surprisingly.

"Yes, a little." Miss Lariet said. "If it were a round in the Vytal Festival, you'd be expected to knock out both opponents to win the match, making it possible to mount a comeback. The same applies outside of tournaments too." Then she pressed a button on the terminal and the profiles of the students began to cycle through one by one. Eventually they settled upon VSPR and TORC.

Specifically, Martin Thistle and Brock Rathbone versus Pazice Gjaller and Raijin Kuro.

"Alright, let's rock!" The black haired boy in the headband leapt to his feet, pumped and excited.

"Groovy." Beside him, the blonde dark skinned blonde of VSPR also stood up. Cedar hadn't seen them around very much, nor had he seen them fight yet. Then he turned his gaze to Brock and Martin. He remembered that time he'd saved Brock during the entrance exam from that Grimm. It made him a little concerned for him in a fight against these two. He hoped Martin could help cover him.

Both pairs entered the arena, facing each other down. Cedar took stock of their weapons. The jazzy looking girl seemed to be holding a trombone with some kind of attachment on the slide he couldn't figure out. The boy had a full on taiko drum slung over his chest with a pair of mace like drumsticks in each hand. So their entire team used musical instrument weapons, Cedar thought. Maybe they'd been teamed up together because of that. On the other hand, Martin had his yo-yo in hand, idly flicking it. Brock's weapon… well, Cedar wasn't sure what it was yet. He could see two devices mounted on his arms but he couldn't see much else about them.

"Now then Brock." Martin said to his teammate. "We should remain cautious in this fight. We don't know our opponents capabilities so we should wait for them to move first. Then, we can-"

"Shush." Brock interrupted him, much to Martin's surprise, the badger Faunus' expression sharp and stern. "Leave this to me. I can take them both."

"Um Brock, this is supposed to be a team exercise..." Martin looked confused.

"Then just follow my lead." Brock snapped. He raised both arms in front of him a long blade slid out of his two arm devices, glinting menacingly.

"Ready? FIGHT!"

"Let's make some music!" Pazice grinned, putting her lips to the mouthpiece and blowing into it. From her trombone, a cannonball of golden energy fired toward Martin and Brock to the sound of a brassy bellow. Brock and Martin jumped to either side to avoid the attack. Then Raijin followed up, smacking both sides of his drum with his drumsticks, a small cannon set on the drum's side firing a bassy sounding black ball at Martin, forcing him to roll under it.

Brock bolted at the two of them, crossing the arena swiftly. Raijin focused him and beat his drum three times, unleashing an array of smaller black bullets, their size related to the volume of his drumbeat. But as they hit Brock, the shots seemed to slip right past him! Cedar noticed his aura dropping on the board, but not nearly enough for those shots he seemed to just be taking. Was that his semblance at work?

Once Brock was close to Raijin, he began stabbing at him with his arm blades in quick succession. Raijin defended himself using his drumsticks but Brock's strength was overwhelming him, scoring several gashes on his aura. Before Pazice could intervene, a long purple string lashed out and attached itself to her back, connected to Martin's finger. He yanked his arm back, dragging Pazice over to him. Now that had to be his semblance, Cedar thought. It was an interesting one, he'd never seen one quite like it but he thought it fitting considering his yo-yo weapon.

Pazice pushed on the bow of her weapon and it began buzzing, several sharp teeth circling its frame. One hit to the bright string shattered it, the jazzy girl attacking Martin with what Cedar could only describe as a trombone chainsaw. Martin jumped back to avoid her swinging weapon, flicking his yo-yo into her face and scoring a hit. Annoyed, Pazice lunged with her saw, landing a glancing blow as Martin threw himself aside. He reeled in his yo-yo and seemed to open a compartment on it, slotting something inside before snapping it shut. When Pazice came at him again, Martin struck her saw with his weapon. When they connected, there was a white flash as ice spilled over the chainsaw blade, covering it and stalling it. Pazice was stunned and it led into Martin swinging his yo-yo in blindingly fast arcs and jabs, a swinging net of sharp flicks that nicked Pazice in several places.

Cedar looked back to Brock and Raijin, seeing how their fight was going. The once singular blades on Brock's arms had opened up into three blades, forming sharp claws on each arm. He was relentlessly slashing at Raijin, the boy's heavy maces not suited for blocking the wider blades and his aura was going down fast. Raijin tried to leap back to give himself some room, but Brock pursued him relentlessly, never giving him a free moment. And the oddest thing was his expression. A razor sharp smile, his eyes wide and bulging, a look of maddened delight as his blades connected with Raijin over and over. It was so jarring from what Cedar had seen of him prior.

"ENOUGH!" Raijin roared, unleashing a sudden burst of energy in a loud shockwave from what Cedar guessed was his semblance. It knocked Brock backwards at last, giving the beleaguered boy a moment to catch his breath. "If you won't stay back, i'll knock you flat!" Raijin shouted, his face a picture of rage. He attached his drumstick maces together into a singular shaft and then drove it into a hole in the taiko drum over his chest. He hefted the entire thing up as the drum expanded and became a large hammerhead.

"Think you can actually hit me with that, little drummer boy?" Brock sneered, flashing his claws menacingly, grinding them against one another as the sound of scraping metal hurt Cedar's ears. Increasingly angered, Raijin bellowed and rushed Brock. His hammer slammed on the ground, shaking the arena. Brock collapsed his claws into singular blades again as Raijin swung in wild rage. But Cedar could see it, Brock was using Raijin's anger to his advantage. He was getting careless, abandoning tactics just to pummel his opponent. And with every missed swing, Brock fired two small machine guns, the barrels on either side of his arm blades, chipping Raijin's aura down.

A brief glance back at Martin and Pazice showed they were still head to head. Pazice had made use of her aura wings and was circling Martin from above, firing more cannonballs down at him. Her swift movements in the air and keeping her distance was stumping Martin's yo-yo range and even when he tried to catch her and drag her down with an aura string, Pazice simply snapped it with a quick kick. The fight seemed one sided for both battles, it could go either way.

"Why won't you just STAY STILL?!" Raijin roared, his hammer swings despite shaking the ground were failing to hit Brock at all.

"Because a filthy human like you can't hit me." he replied coldly, crossing his arms and unleashing an x shaped slash, knocking Raijin. "And i'll crush you and any of your kind who stands against me!" he taunted, before booting Raijin in the chest and striking his blade into his neck. Cedar watched Raijin's aura drop from 16% to 3% in one blow. He was eliminated and Brock's attention turned to Pazice.

She meanwhile was running rings around Martin by now, swooping in low using her wings to attack with her chainsaw, scraping away his aura bit by bit. Just when it seemed Martin had landed a hit, his yo-yo wrapping around her leg, Pazice showed some amazing initiative, flying close to the ceiling and then using the momentum to kick Martin as he came flying up. His aura shattered on contact, he was down for the count.

Now Pazice and Brock stared each other down. Cedar could see a slight sense of fear in her eyes, noticing the differences in their aura levels. She had to be careful, or else this fight could end in seconds. Shakily putting the mouthpiece to her lips, she puffed into it several times, shooting a barrage of cannonfire at her opponent. Brock rushed at her, tanking the blows from her cannonballs as they only glanced off of him or caused minor damage. He fired back with the guns on his armlets, forcing Pazice to use her wings to dodge them. Then Brock changed targets, from aiming at her to aiming at her wings.

To the tune of glass shattering, Pazice's wings broke apart from several gunshots and she found herself plummeting. Cedar gasped, totally unaware her semblance had a weakness like that and that Brock had found it. Brock chuckled, opened his blades into claws, leapt up and attacked Pazice in the air, battering the girl with multiple slashes, ripping into her aura and finishing her off by kicking her into the arena floor, shattering her aura just how she'd done to Martin. Brock landed behind her with a loud thud, looking over the arena.

"K.O! Brock and Martin win!" The screen splayed its virtual confetti over their images but the whole class was quiet. Just looking around, Cedar saw the shock on April's face, the concerned look of Violetta, the frown etched into Isaac's features. No-one in class had been expecting this level of skill from someone as quiet as Brock, nor anything quite that vicious. He was still smiling too, that cruel cold sickle on his face that denoted enjoyment of utterly destroying his opponents, gazing at their prostrate forms.

"Mr Rathbone." Miss Lariet thankfully cut the tension, walking down to the arena. She looked surprised but also disappointed. "Whilst your skill in that fight was exceptional, you completely abandoned the notion of teamwork. You left your partner to be eliminated by your other opponent and had you been against stronger enemies, you would have been in great danger." Brock's head slowly turned toward Miss Lariet and for a second, Cedar thought he was going to attack her from the look on his face. His aura was emanating a burning passion for battle that honestly scared him.

"...I-I understand. I-I-I'm so sorry." Brock whimpered, bowing to her and moving to Martin's side to help him up. Cedar's eyes widened in violent, rageful side of Brock had evaporated in a split second and now he was helping up those he'd just been enjoying kicking around. What had happened?!

* * *

The rest of combat class passed without much notice from him. Even when Isaac and Yasmin were chosen to fight, his mind was focused only on one thing. Brock. The boy he thought he'd known and had saved during the entrance exam. Had he been fooled? Or was there just something going on he didn't see? He was almost deaf to the bell ringing, all he could think about was going and talking to Brock about this. He just had to know. Whether it was burning curiosity or seething dread or simple worry, he felt deep inside he'd be offset until he knew what was going on with that boy.

"Guys?" Cedar looked to his team. "I'm gonna go and talk to Brock."

"Why?" Lariah looked surprised.

"How he was in the fight, you noticed it too, right?" Cedar said.

"Quite…" Yasmin nodded, perturbed. "It was quite the personality shift, even in a combat situation it seemed rather extreme."

"I thought so too. I want to find out why." Cedar said, a little determination on display.

"Are ya sure, buddy?" Isaac put a hand on his shoulder with concern. "My folks gotta sayin. Pokin' a bear trap gets ya hurt."

"I just need to know. It's worrying me so much." Cedar held his ground. His team didn't try to stop him again as he headed off to find Brock. It took a little while but he eventually caught up to him, following his team back into his dorm room, his meek and demure presence on display with his hands in front of him, hunched over slightly as he walked. It was such a shift, it still surprised Cedar just to see him like this again.

"Hey, Brock!" Cedar called after him before he went into his room. The boy turned to him in surprise.

"C-Cedar? What… what's wrong?" The uncertainty in his voice was as thick as ever. .

"Can we talk for a bit?"

"Maybe… what's ab-bout?" Brock looked shaky but Cedar pressed on anyway.

"It's about how you were in the fight." Brock seemed to shrink back at the mere mention of it. "I've never seen you be so forward and brave like that. I just… i'm curious about it. Why did that happen? Is it some kind of trick or semblance?" An uncomfortable silence followed his question, the look on Brock's face was conflicted, his eyes darting around and his lip quivering slightly, like he was debating how to answer. He blinked a few times, then mustered up the will to answer.

"It's complicated." he began. "I… I always wanted to be a huntsman. Every since I was young, b-but I was too um, scared and nervous to fight the Grimm." he continued, a small smile forming on his face. "But my uncle. He's r-really good with um… mind stuff. So he hypnotised me and gave me another side. A stronger side to fight Grimm with, that won't run away. That is who y-you saw in the arena."

"So it's another personality… another side to you? Wow." Cedar hadn't been expecting something that complex. He'd honestly just expected something about amazing focus or acting super tough. An entire second personality just for fighting with Grimm was pretty intense, and dangerous as he'd seen it. "But, didn't it get a little too serious in there? You were so relentless." Brock nodded sadly.

"It's n-not perfect… i'm so sorry." he frowned, his badger ears wavering slightly. "My uncle will probably be upset with me too." Cedar began to feel bad for him. Was his uncle an angry kind of parent to get that kind of reaction?

"Not if you have someone there to help explain it." Cedar offered, trying to smile to cheer his fellow Faunus up.

"You… y-you'd do that? For me?" Brock gasped, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Sure. Anything for my classmate." Cedar changed his mind on that wording the moment it left his mouth. "No, for my friend." That sounded much better, and judging from how Brock's face lit up, Cedar guessed he agreed.

"Well um… I-I'll call uncle, maybe you could c-come round for dinner tonight?" Brock said, taking out his scroll. Cedar was a little surprised. Sure he'd offered to help out, but tonight? That was sooner than expected

"I mean, sure? Is it okay to do it so suddenly?" Cedar asked, ears perking up a little.

"Sure! Unc-cle always tells me to just tell him if I want to bring a friend home." Brock assured him, dialling a number into his scroll and calling him. It was a frantic and excited conversation that followed, though Cedar tuned out the words out of decency, but from how Brock was talking into the phone and how he seemed a little giddy, he knew this probably didn't happen often for him. Cedar wondered if Brock had offered this invitation to his team yet, just as he had been invited to have dinner with the Ginshis recently. Then Brock hung up and put his scroll in his pocket. "Uncle says it's okay! You like steak, right?"

* * *

The rest of the day turned out to be relatively slow after Cedar's confrontation with Brock. He told his team he'd be spending the afternoon at Brock's house. Isaac even expressed some envy at how his teammate would be enjoying delicious steak tonight. But Yasmin and Lariah just told him to be careful around Brock. As they walked side by side, Cedar thought about that. Brock had been acting as he knew him, meek, shy, a little happy. The transition between sides really was astonishing, but this side of Brock was still the one he knew and liked. So how bad could it be, really?

A short walk into the housing estate of Vault later, they arrived at Brock's house. Cedar was somewhat taken aback. It was an expensive looking house, even more so than the Ginshis place. It bore a design closer to the homes in Vault with its tall white stone construction and the red painted roof which looked far less impressive in the darkness. The windows shone with a warm orange light, settling Cedar a little as they approached the front door.

Brock didn't knock, he simply opened the door and led Cedar inside. The foyer was pleasant, carpeted with a set of stairs leading to the upper floor. From a door on the left, Cedar could smell the rich aroma of beef on the grill, no doubt denoting a kitchen laid beyond it. Beyond that door was a comfy looking kitchen and dining table, the surfaces lined with marble and as clean as a whistle. It was pretty upscale for Cedar's tastes but he couldn't help but appreciate it a little. From the kitchen area, a figure emerged, dressed in a white apron over a white dress shirt and grey smart trousers.

"Ah, Brock. Welcome home." he smiled at him and then turned to Cedar. "And it must be safe to assume you are the friend he mentioned over his scroll?" His voice carried a polite aurhotity to it

"Yes sir." Cedar nodded. "My name is Cedar."

"Wonderful to meet you." The man extended a hand to him, a strand of red hair falling over one of his eyes. "My name is Rosso Rathbone. I am Brock's uncle." after they shook hands, he directed them to the dinner table. "Brock, could you lay the table please?"

"Yes uncle." Brock replied, setting out knives and forks of fine silver, at a single glance Cedar could guess they costed maybe twice as much as the ones his parents had at home. He took a seat next to Brock and soon, Mr Rathbone brought two plates in, a hot grilled piece of steak set on each, accompanied by small fried potatoes and some diced assorted vegetables. Cedar had never eaten in a high end restaurant, but he imagined this steak was something you would find in such a place. Mr Rathbone joined them with his own plate. Cedar tucked right into the steak and the instant that sumptuous morsel of meat hit his tongue, the taste overwhelmed him. It was cooked to perfection.

"So, Cedar." Mr Rathbone spoke up. "I have heard you assisted in dealing with a little bullying problem at school?" It took a moment for him to remember, the incident with team Star seemed so long ago now.

"Yeah." he nodded. "They were targeting our team, so we investigated and found them out."

"Interesting." Mr Rathbone smiled, dabbing his lips with a napkin. "It's good to know it was dealt with. I'd hate to think if Brock were to suffer under such behaviour. Especially for being a Faunus, the idea makes my skin crawl."

"Yeah…" a brief thought of how some people treated Faunus crossed Cedar's mind. "It's not usually like that, though. Everyone else is really nice to Brock and me."

"That's good." Mr Rathbone smiled. "It's so wonderful to know he has such good friends already." Whilst Brock wasn't talking, he seemed to be enjoying listening to the conversation, Cedar noted by the smile on his face. The meal went smoothly after that, Cedar talking about the usual subjects at school and how Brock had done really well in combat class. His plate was empty before he even realised it, he'd enjoyed the steak very much. "Brock, could you wash these up please?" Mr Rathbone said once his plate was clean. Brock nodded, collected the various items of crockery off the table and went into the kitchen. Once he was out of earshot, Mr Rathbone looked back at Cedar with a somewhat sterner expression. "So. I'm sure it hasn't escaped your notice that Brock is not an average person, has it?" Cedar was taken aback by the sudden change of topic. He had been meaning to ask about it, but hadn't found a good opportunity. Kind of fortunate that Mr Rathbone had made one for him.

"Yes." he answered. "It was during class today. He got really vicious and violent with some other students in sparring practice."

"I see." Rosso sighed and swiped a hand over his forehead, brushing some red hair out of his eyes. "I'm afraid it's a serious problem. I'm sure Brock has told you I helped create another personality for him to fight Grimm but, the truth is something far more grim." He continued. Cedar found himself leaning over the table to listen. "My brother, or Brock's father, was once a member of the older White Fang before their more violent days, with his Faunus partner. They attended many rallies and fought for their cause and they brought Brock along with them. Unfortunately, when Brock was 15, they were sadly killed during a rally when someone in the crowd fired a handgun." Already Cedar could feel his blood chilling at the mention of this horrible event. He'd read about Faunus protests becoming violent, but to this degree wasn't something he'd heard of before. "Brock, perhaps out of survival instinct or simple rage, manifested a personality which sought to attack and destroy those around him, using anything he could get his hands on. Ever since then, he's been struggling with this wilder side to himself."

"That's terrible…" Cedar wondered if Brock's shy attitude was born out of fear to this other side of himself taking over and hurting them.

"Since then, I've taken custody of him. Thankfully I have a little training in hypnotherapy and we've been able to suppress his other side, but it has a nasty tendency to emerge during combat." Rosso sighed and leaned on his elbows. "I was hoping he might learn to control it through combat school training but i'm not so sure now."

"Sir." Cedar suddenly said. "I think Brock's improving a lot. His team is supporting him and now I know this, i'll do everything I can to help him. I promise you that." This sudden spur of action in Cedar, he wasn't quite sure where it came from, but as the words left his mouth, he knew he'd follow up on it. He felt sorry for Brock and hearing his story, he wanted to be there to support him, now more than ever.

"Thank you." Rosso smiled at him. "It's good to know he will be with someone so supportive." Cedar felt a little warmth spreading through him. Maybe it was pride or maybe he just felt good he'd agreed to help out Brock. Classmate or friend didn't matter, all that did matter was he could and would help. That was when Brock came back into the room. "So, how do you boys feel about cheesecake for dessert?"


	16. V1C16: A Flock Of Black Sheep

**Volume 1**

Chapter 16: A Flock Of Black Sheep

Cedar said goodnight to Mr Rathbone as he and Brock left his house. The sky had grown dark and the fractured moon was shining down upon Vault, guiding their path up the white stone streets of the colony. Cedar had a little spring in his step. The pleasant dinner and the promise he'd made to Mr Rathbone, he felt happy about it! Brock seemed to be in similarly high spirits, the usually shy boy was walking with his head held high and a smile on his face.

Now that it was so late, they had to get a ship from the docks to get back to Lustre. They had to pass through the town itself first, the streets now quiet as the shops closed up and the people returned to their homes for the cold night ahead. It was funny, Cedar thought as he idly ran his hand over the stone wall of one of the houses he passed. He'd come to know Vault so well during his time living there but the colony still surprised him with its nightly transformation. Going from vibrant and colourful to still and serene in such a short time, it felt so serene.

And then a nearby small explosion broke that serenity.

Fearing the worst, Cedar and Brock rushed toward the sound of the noise, finding the source at a bench in the public park. Though thankfully this time it wasn't a thieving baseball player, it was something far more benign, a trio of his classmates from team Star.

"Silas?" Cedar looked to the grey haired boy on the bench. "What're you guys doing here?"

"Oh uh, hey Cedar." Silas replied, Terrance sitting on his left and April on his right. He seemed a little more uncomfortable when the Faunus showed up. He'd still been adjusting ever since the incident with their teams, but Cedar remained steadfast in giving him another chance. "What does it look like we're doing?"

"Being kinda suspicious, honestly." Cedar said bluntly. "I heard a big bang over here."

"My fault." Terrance grumbled, holding up a busted metal shell of what Cedar vaguely remembered was one of Terrance's rockets. "I've been trying to make better rockets. We were working in the technicians lab… until we blew it up a bit."

"Yeesh." Cedar winced at that image. "I guess it's not going well?"

"About as well as making a chocolate teapot." Silas rolled his eyes. "How come you're out here so late anyway?"

"I was having lunch at Brock's house." He replied.

"Y-yeah…" Brock added, still a little nervous around Silas after what he did became public knowledge around Lustre.

"Fair enough I guess." Silas shrugged. "I mean it's not like i'm accusing you of sneaking around or-" he stopped as April's hand gripped his arm. The silver haired boy glanced at her as she just shook her head slowly. He sighed and turned back to him. "Sorry… still trying to get used to this 'opening up to people' thing." Cedar smiled a little as he looked at April. She seemed like she was a good chaperone for Silas and Terrance, she even had her hood down.

"It's alright." Cedar assured him. "I'll take trying over not at all, honestly."

"You're way too nice." Silas smiled wryly. "So, seeing as we're not getting anywhere with this, mind if we walk back with you two?"

"S-sure! That sounds… nice." Brock mustered up a little courage.

"I'd like that." April chimed in, bouncing to her feet. Silas and Terrance soon followed as the five of them found themselves heading back to the docking area together. During the incident, Cedar never would've imagined he'd be walking beside members of team Star like they were friends, but here he was. And it was nice. No more hostilities, just students trying to get along. And to think, he'd dreaded new people when he first arrived at the school.

"Can't believe it's almost half term already." Silas said as they walked.

"Yeah, time flies." Cedar agreed.

"Think they'll give us homework over the break?"

"Ahuh, probably. I need to keep training anyway." Silas looked surprised.

"Right… is it because of-?"

"Yeah." Cedar knew what he was going to say. "Even if you guys lost, you still beat me head to head. I needed to improve. So i've been seeing miss Lariet after class for sparring practice."

"Wow. That's some dedication. Didn't realise me being a bully helped push someone to improve."

"That's… one way to look at it?" Cedar wasn't sure if he was okay with that phrasing. Then he realised something. "If you guys are fiddling with your ammo, I guess you're trying to improve too?"

"Yep." Terrance nodded. Cedar spied his fist clenching around something he was holding. "I can't just hit through everything. I need to improve beyond growing stronger. I cannot be blockheaded anymore."

"You're not a blockhead Terry." April said with an assuring pat on his shoulder.. "You… you just have things you're working through. And that's okay, Nurse Gelb said so, remember?"

"She did." Terrance nodded, his fist squeezing that small object hidden away. Cedar wondered what Terrance was working through, but he didn't want to pry.

"I bet you guys will get better. Next time we fight, maybe we'll all lose." Cedar smiled. That seemed to cheer them up. Cedar took a moment to allow Silas, Brock and Terrance to walk ahead so he could walk beside April and talk to her. "So um, how're you holding out?"

"Much better." April smiled, her rainbow locks tumbling over her head. "They've been so much more open. We… we talked together. Silas said sorry and Terrance admitted he has anger issues. And we've been dealing with them together with Nurse Gelb's help. It's really starting to feel as if, we're friends now."

"That's great." Cedar was relieved to hear that.

"And… I know you helped." April said, Cedar's ears perking in surprise. "Thank you for speaking to Silas. After all he did to you, it was a very kind thing to do." Cedar felt his cheeks going red a little at April's compliments. Compliments were one thing, compliments from a cute girl? He felt like he was going to melt!

"Oh come on. It. It's nothing." Cedar chuckled lightly, turning away. He slowed down a little and April walked on ahead, losing himself briefly in the warm feeling in his chest.

"Pssst!" a sudden sharp voice drew Cedar's attention, his fox ears twitching at the sound. He turned and spied a figure standing in a nearby alley, looking at him. He couldn't quite make out what they looked like in the shadows. "Pssst!" they repeated. He was definitely trying to get Cedar's attention. He approached the alleyway, cautious of this unknown man. Once he was close, the voice hissed. "What in Oum's name are you doing out here in the open?!" Looking him over, Cedar noticed he was a Faunus with a pair of brown dog ears mixed in with his dusty brown hair.

"Um, i'm sorry?" Cedar replied, confused.

"You can't just walk around in the open! Just because we're new in town doesn't mean it's safe yet!" The man chided him with a scowl. "Seriously Cress, I expected better from you…"

"Cress?" Cedar didn't know that name and was starting to think this was a case of mistaken identities.

"Yes you, you idiot." the man sighed and suddenly grabbed him by the wrist. "Just be glad I caught you before the cops did. Come on, we're gonna be late." Before Cedar could argue, the young man was dragging him down the alleyway.

"L-late? What for?" Cedar dragged his feet

"Don't tell me you forgot?! You're hopeless." The man grumbled. "It's the big meeting at the warehouse! Honestly man, the White Fang doesn't tolerate this kind of unpreparedness!"

White Fang?

Did he just say White Fang?

As Cedar was led along by the Faunus, those words bounced around his head. He looked at the situation. A strange Faunus had acted like he knew him and was forcibly taking him to some kind of meeting. And the White Fang were the ones holding it, the once peaceful organization turned Faunus terrorist cell. Everything was moving very quickly and Cedar couldn't help but feel a little nauseous. He needed to think of what to do.

On the one hand, this was clearly a big mistake. He didn't know how this Faunus could've mistaken him for another one, but he had somehow and he was intent on making him join this meeting. Going to a place with extremist, violent and likely armed Faunus criminals made Cedar's heart race with fear and his skin go cold. If he went into that kind of hornet's nest, he was near certain he wouldn't come out without a scratch, especially if he went in based on a misunderstanding that they would likely see as an intentional lie!

But… and maybe this thought was just because he'd been next to Silas for a bit, this kind of opportunity could be useful. If the White Fang were in Vault, the authorities knew nothing about it and it was certainly the first Cedar had heard about it. They could be planning some big attack on the town. And Cedar had an opportunity to hear all of it. If he went there under this assumed identity, was it possible he could eavesdrop and perhaps stop their plans before they were even set into motion?

It was a stupid idea, he knew that. Stupid and dangerous, walking into a den of wolves like that. If his team were here, Cedar was sure they'd be telling him not to do it. Except for Yasmin, maybe. He was sure he'd get in trouble for it if he went through with it, but at the same time, if he told this Faunus he wasn't who he thought he was, what would he do? Would he kidnap him? Hurt him to silence him? It was dangerous either way. He had to decide quickly… he had to...

"...y-yeah, sorry man, it must've just slipped my mind." Cedar said, trying to slip into the character this man imagined him as.

"You're the worst. Don't think I won't be telling the Lieutenant about this." The dog eared man threatened. "Just stop dragging your feet, okay? We're going to be late."

* * *

"Guys, wasn't Cedar behind us?" Silas asked when the team stopped walking. One quick turn revealed, indeed, the fox Faunus was suddenly absent from their group.

"What? But, he was just…" Brock looked confused.

"I was talking to him." April added. The group found themselves retracing their steps, trying to spot any sign of him, shivering from the cold night air and the stalking sense of concern that loomed over them. Silas spied a shadow flickering in a nearby alleyway.

"Guys, behind me." he beckoned them over, carefully approaching the wall. At a glance, he spied Cedar being dragged away by a Faunus he didn't recognise. The scene looked suspicious.

"Silas?" April peered beside him. "What's going on?"

"I think Cedar's being dragged into something not of his own volition." the grey haired boy's eyes narrowed.

"S-someone took him…?" Brock gasped.

"What do we do?" Terrance said.

"We follow. Whatever's going on, it can't be good." Silas led them after Cedar. Deep down, Silas held a little resentment toward the fox Faunus for showing him up so much. A nasty burning flame in the pit of his soul that remembered he hated Cedar for that moment. But right now, that didn't matter. He was a huntsman and his classmate was in need. It was his duty to help him.

Following the two Faunus wasn't easy. Silas was the fastest person in the group but whoever was leading Cedar was faster. He had to pay attention to every shadow flickering down the path or every sound of a footfall just to find their path, but he remained dogged in his efforts not to lose them, his team and Brock following as fast as they could. The comfortable town began to give way to the industrial sector, the closely knit buildings becoming chain link fences and concrete structures with funnel chimneys belching smoke. And from there, they found the warehouses, standing rank and file in perfect succession like soldiers on a nightly patrol.

Silas spied Cedar and the other guy walking toward a warehouse marked as number 8, somewhat run down with its windows barred by wood and nails. He watched them enter via a door next to a large metal shutter, vanishing into the building. That was suspicious enough, but what was even more suspicious was the two men dressed in overalls standing around the metal shutter once the door closed. Something Silas spotted quickly, both of them were Faunus, one sporting a pair of hyena ears and the other a dog's tail.

"Why did he go here…?" April asked, catching up to Silas and crouching behind a parked car.

"I-I don't know…" Brock looked worried.

"Something's not right here." Terrance frowned, clenching his fist at the sight of the warehouse. "Why did they come here?"

"No idea, but I doubt it's anything wholesome." Silas said. "Those two are trying to act like workers, but look at their belts." He pointed to one of them. He'd spotted they had ammo clips slung along them and some walkie talkies. Silas assumed that meant they were guards posing as workers and they were likely armed.

"You think they're guards? What are they guarding?" April asked, tugging at her raincoat sleeve pensively. .

"...White Fang." Brock spoke up.

"What?!" Terrance hissed, keeping his voice down but sounding angry at the name.

"They're both Faunus a-and the person who took C-Cedar… he was a Faunus too. W-why else would they need armed guards outside…?"

"You don't think… they couldn't have, really?" April looked shocked.

"Fang or not, they took Cedar in there for whatever reason." Silas said, returning to focus and saying, what he thought was, the stupidest thing he could say right now. "We need to get in there."

"B-but Silas! We can't just go in there! If it is the Fang, t-they're terrorists… they'd hurt us." she looked genuinely scared, her big eyes darting between Silas and Terrance.

"I know, April." Silas sighed. "...but we should at least try, right? We can't just leave a friend in need. We're still hunters in training, we need to act. If nothing else, we can at least spy on them and call the cops." April didn't seem satisfied and Terrance was gritting his teeth in nervousness. But Brock was looking at Silas with matching determination.

"We should try to help at least. After what he ag-greed to do." Brock said. Terrance and April shared a look and turned back to Silas. Slowly, they nodded. They were still a team at the end of the day and they'd stick together even in dire situations like this.

"But, how're we going to get past the guards?" April asked.

"Don't worry." Silas smiled slyly. "I have a plan."

* * *

"E-Excuse me?" Brock stepped out into the view of the two supposed workers, his badger ears on full display. Their eyes were locked on him, as a hidden Silas had hoped.

"What?" one of them grunted.

"I'm here, um, for the… White Fang meeting?" He asked, walking a little closer.

"Don't know anythin' about that." The other one brushed it off, but Brock could see his hand slipping to the walkie talkie at his waist.

"But I heard it was here?" Brock continued approaching. "I j-just hope i'm not late." The two workers looked suspicious.

"I've never seen you before. Who are you?" they both drew closer to Brock, just what Silas had been hoping for. Above them, Terrance had managed to climb his way onto the roof of the building and once the two Faunus stepped forward, he dropped down off of the roof. He landed on one of them, smacking him into the floor and banging his head on the ground, knocking him unconscious.

The second Faunus saw his comrade go down and reached inside his overalls for his gun, but April had set her sights on him, using her umbrella rifle to fire a shot and strike him in the neck, knocking him out before he could activate his aura or retrieve his weapon. Both Faunus were down.

"Good work guys." Silas came out of cover with April. He snatched a radio from one of the guards as it began to crackle.

"Aayden? Are we alright up there?" a voice spoke over the radio.

"Yeah, all clear up here." Silas answered, mimicking the voice of the Hyena Faunus to a T and for once feeling a little better about his semblance. Silas kept the radio in case they checked in again, but for now they could enter the warehouse. Taking a deep breath, Silas pushed the door open and peered inside, for whatever laid ahead.

* * *

When Cedar was bungled through the warehouse door, he hadn't expected it to look this empty inside. The entire warehouse was empty and abandoned, dust piling in the corners. There was however a small corner office that he was dragged into, with stairs inisde it leading down below the warehouse itself. There were two sets of similar clothes waiting for them on a table, which the other Faunus began dressing in.

"Cmon Cress! Hurry up and get dressed!" he snapped, pointing at the second pile. Cedar quickly began to get dressed. Thankfully most of the clothes fit right over what he was currently wearing, the odd overcoat and hood, the trousers he had to tuck into the socks, the mask to cover his eyes. Once he was dressed, he truly felt like he could blend in no problem, his fox ears thankfully having slots to poke out of the hood. It was a little big for him, but he made it work by tucking the shirt into the trousers.

Once they were dressed, the other Faunus led him down the stairs and into the basement. And it was down there Cedar realised the scope of what he'd gotten himself into. The basement was a large storage area, as big as the warehouse itself and it was crawling with White Fang members. At a rough estimate, Cedar would guess there were around fifty of them. And that wasn't all that scared him. The basement was chock full of weapons, boxes containing firearms, racks of daggers and swords, crates of ammunition stocked on top of one another. They had enough weaponry and manpower to take over a small settlement! They were grouping together, watching something at the far end of the room and Cedar found himself mingling with the crowd beside his new Faunus friend, getting closer to the speakers. So far he was alright, no-one was paying him any notice, he could at least listen in.

"You've got some real nerve walking into a place like this, human." said a voice at the front. Looking ahead, Cedar saw the voice belonged to an utter behemoth of a man. He was large, both in height and girth, a snouted mask covering his face, two rubbery pig ears flopping out of dark brown hair. Cedar guessed he was the 'Lieutenant' his new friend had mentioned earlier.

"Of that I am fully aware." a second voice spoke up, belonging to a man dressed in a smart red suit and matching trilby hat, his face sharp and sly. "But i'm confident we can both benefit from this, Mr Butch." The suited man was accompanied by a cohort, a wild haired man in a trench coat with a mad grin, holding some kind of large pet carrier.

"Heh. I can't help but be skeptical about something like that." The large pig eared lieutenant folded his arms. "What do you want?"

"Let's call it, an armistice." The suited man explained. "I have no doubt that the White Fang has its reasons for establishing a base in Vault like this and while it is none of my business what you're doing here, it concerns me it could end up interfering in my own business."

"Oh? We're some kind of problem to you?" The lieutenant grunted.

"A potential problem." the suited man clarified. "Your kind do tend to make a lot of… noise." The crowd murmured with discontent. In fact, Cedar could feel an atmosphere of hostility swelling within the ranks at the human's presence, like a pack of wild dogs eyeing a scrap of meat.

"Noise is the only way people will listen. We learned that long ago." The lieutenant claimed.

"And more power to your cause, Mr Butch. I have no issue with what you do." The suited man assured him, staying calm and collected despite the atmosphere. "But i'd rather we not be tripping over one another in our agendas. It will only cause tensions between us and get in the way, don't you think?"

"Then you could simply stand down and stay out of our way." the lieutenant threatened, hands moving to his hips. "Look around, human. You are surrounded by us. Why should we listen to anything you have to say when we could get rid of you right now?" Cedar felt the hostility kick up a notch, half the crowd looked ready to leap upon the mysterious man and tear him apart. But still, he remained cool, like he had ice water in his veins.

"Because I have more power over Vault than you are aware of, Mr Butch. And that's not a hollow claim, how do you think I found you in the first place?" That seemed to take their leader aback and the Fang members too seemed to be curious of that fact. "I can be of far more use to you as an ally than an enemy."

"And what use do you have, exactly?" the lieutenant asked, the mood in the room still thick and heavy. The suited man gestured to his wild haired associate who set down the pet carrier, kneeling beside it and undoing some clasps on it's side. The carrier opened akin to a briefcase and inside, much to Cedar's horror, there was a person. They were small and waiflike with grey mouse ears atop their head, lying still buy faintly breathing.

"I believe you're familiar with Mr Roquefort here?" the suited man asked. "According to my sources he used to be one of yours before he blew the whistle on that base in Mistral." the lieutenant peered down at the tiny form in the case.

"Yes. The Fang spares no quarter for traitors." he grunted, a slight smile forming on his face. "Some kind of bargaining chip?"

"Heavens no." The suited man shook his head. "This is a present, Mr Butch, regardless of how this meeting ends. It's simply to give you an example of the ways I can help you. I hear especially that Mr Taurus is looking for a particular traitor himself, am I wrong?" His face was a sick mixture of knowing mirth and sly cunning, enough to make Cedar revile.

"...I suppose there is some merit to this." The leader nodded slightly. "But this doesn't mean trust, human. As you said, it will be an armistice. You assist us and we will not intervene in your dealings."

"Splendid." The suited man rubbed his hands together before reaching one out to shake the lieutenant's hand. He didn't return the gesture.

"One last thing. Your name. You haven't given it. If this is to be an armistice, I want to know your name."

"Oh, of course, how rude of me." The suited man chuckled. "Just call me, Crossheart."

Cedar's heart was pounding like a piston. He'd thought just mingling with the Fang was bad enough, but this? This was even worse! Watching two criminals trade a life between them like it was a commodity to be bought and sold, especially a Faunus, deeply upset him. He felt compelled to do something, to stop this horrible exchange. Even surrounded by these radical criminals, he wanted to do something, but what could he possibly do?

"Hey!" A voice from behind the crowd drew their attention to the doorway. A fox Faunus had entered the basement, dressed in street clothes, his expression was angry. His hand pointed right to Cedar amidst the crowd. "That guy's got my clothes!"

And just like that, Cedar felt the aura of hostility return and surround him, a black sea peppered with angry white faces, glaring at him and baring their teeth. He was now, truly, a sheep amidst wolves.


	17. V1C17: Shoot the Shephard

**Volume 1**

Chapter 17: Shoot The Shepherd

Silas and the others were crouched by the stairwell into the basement, hiding behind a corner. Silas was peering out into the room itself and winced at the sight of the huge gang of White Fang members congregated there.

"W-well? What's it like out there?" April whispered to him.

"It's about as bad as you think it is." Silas said, slipping back into cover before they were spotted.

"Did you see Cedar?" Brock piped up.

"I saw some fox ears in the group. Could be him." Silas shook his head. "If it is, he's in uniform. Which means-"

"No… h-he can't be…" Brock looked shocked at the implication.

"He couldn't…" April put her hands over her mouth.

"We need to get closer." Silas ignored the idea. Glancing around the room, he saw a series of metal girders lined the walls and ceiling of the basement with hooks and chains used for moving heavy cargo and machinery. There was just enough of a gap at the top that Silas thought he could use it to his advantage. "Terrance, let's get up there. Bring your hammer." Terrance nodded and the two began climbing a nearby girder. It was a tough climb, Silas strained his fingers into the holes in the metal to reach the top. Terrance's strong fingers made mincemeat of the climb. They moved carefully and quietly across the metal, crawling and glancing down at the scene below. They were above the crowd now and had a view of the lieutenant and the suited man. And the mouse Faunus in the pet carrier.

"What do we do?" Terrance whispered.

"I don't know." Silas frowned. "We should probably save that guy they have, but I don't see much of an opening."

"Hey!" A voice startled the two and for a second, they thought they'd been spotted. But one quick look revealed it was a different fox Faunus looking at the crowd. Silas felt a cold dread welling up in his bones as the entire room turned upon whom he perceived was Cedar. The members of the Fang had become a pack of vicious beasts ready to tear him apart. They were running out of time. But what could they do to save them?

Silas set to planning right away.

* * *

"How the hell did he get in here?!"

"Who is he?!"

"He looks like a kid!"

"Get rid of him!"

Various shouts of confusion and howls for Cedar's head echoed around the warehouse as his mask was ripped off his face, revealing his demure appearance to the crowd.

"Cress?!" the dog eared man gasped when he realised the mistake he'd made. "But, I thought he was… you don't-"

"You moron, Dingo!" Cress snapped, getting in the face of his dog eared friend. "You seriously mistook this kid for me?! We don't even look alike!"

"Actually, you do." Someone in the crowd said. It was true, they were both similar heights, they had the same Faunus traits, the same hair. But Cress had a sharper face with smaller eyes.

"You wanna die?!" Cress threatened the voice in the crowd.

"Quiet!" A shout from the lieutenant silenced the barking mob. The crowd shuffled aside to let him through as he gazed down at Cedar. Even though he couldn't see his eyes, Cedar knew he was glaring. "Who are you, young man?"

"I'd rather not say." Cedar said quickly.

"Do you think you have a choice?" The lieutenant asked, somewhat amused. "Aren't you scared, surrounded by a group i'm sure you know about?"

"Of course i'm scared." Cedar replied without even hesitating, or thinking about it for that matter. "But… giving you my name won't make you back down, so I don't want to."

"Even if you get hurt for it?"

"You're going to hurt me anyway… it's what you do." Cedar tried to look him in the eye, but he just couldn't, so he looked at the side of his face. "The White Fang causes terror and hurts people. Giving you my name or not won't change that, will it?" A hush fell over the basement, the White Fang members were silent and all was still. Then, the lieutenant let out a deep rumbling chuckle.

"You're brave, for a mite." He put his hands on his hips. "Though you're mistaken. We don't just hurt people for the sake of it. We hurt those who've hurt our kind and who continue to hurt us. As bold faced as this infiltration is, I won't hurt you." Cedar was taken aback by the lieutenant's calmer attitude and understanding toward him. He wasn't sure if he was relieved or unnerved by it.

"That being said, I am going to have to question you. Can't simply allow all of this to slide when you stumbled into an important meeting, you know?" The lieutenant shook his head. Cedar briefly glanced behind him, spying the suited man watching with quiet amusement, along with his wild haired associate.

"You're just gonna let this liar get off scot free, Oliver?!" Cress snarled, grabbing Cedar by the collar. "He infiltrated the meeting! He should die before he spills to anyone!" Cedar felt a pang of fear as Cress reached for a dagger at his belt.

"Cress, stop." The lieutenant grunted, turning on him. "He's just a child, there's no need to get violent."

"Like hell there isn't!" Cress snapped, his dagger now in hand. "We need to make an example of arrogant spies like him who think they can just get away with breaking in!" Cedar's fear grew stronger, the angry Faunus' blade to his neck, cold steel numbing his neck.

"Cress! Put the weapon down an-" before the lieutenant could finish, something dropped into the group from the ceiling, wielding a massive hammer and crackling with aura.

"RAAAAAGGGHHHH!" Terrance roared as his hammer hit the ground, his sonic boom semblance activating and exploding across the room, knocking away the crowd of masked maniacs and sending them flying. They crashed into ammo boxes, smacked into the walls, rolled over the floor. Cedar had managed to leap up just in time to get over the blast, looking over to the suited man and his associate who had both been knocked down. The pet carrier was sitting right there with the Faunus inside!

Silas dropped down next to the carrier and scooped up the Faunus in both arms.

"Cmon, lets go!" He shouted to Cedar, running up to him. Cedar didn't stop to ask how Silas had found him or gotten in, he just turned and started running with them, right as the Fang began to recover. The suited man frowned, watching the three students run.

"Edgar, stop them." He said quickly.

"You got it!" the wild haired associate grinned, taking out some kind of rifle from his trenchcoat and aiming at the group, particularly at Silas.

"Silas, watch out!" April shouted from the stairs, opening her umbrella to protect him. Edgar pulled the trigger and from the barrel of his gun, a burst of cyan light shot out and struck April's umbrella, throwing her backward along with Silas behind her, smashing into the stairs. Cedar winced at the strength of the blow and quickly helped her get up, rushing upstairs as fast as they could.

"Hmm…" the suited man watched them escape and frowned. "Edgar, get after them. Call on Load if you have to." He then turned to the furious face of Oliver Butch, lumbering to his feet. "With our agreement struck, perhaps we should have a brief chat about moving to a new location."

"I'm listening." the lieutenant grumbled, frustrated at how some kids had just stolen their captive. But for now he knew he had to prioritise and move out, before the authorities arrived.

* * *

"I can't believe you guys followed me down here." Cedar said as they hurried upstairs.

"Couldn't just turn and go when you disappeared!" Silas insisted. "Redwood would kill me if he heard about it!"

"Yeah, he would." Cedar agreed. "Still, thanks for helping back there. I wouldn't have made it out of there without you guys."

"Right. No problem." Silas smiled a little, almost proud of such a compliment as they made it into the warehouse. Right as they reached the door, a sudden thump on the roof of the warehouse. It was loud and it sounded heavy.

"...what was that?" April looked worried, clutching her umbrella.

"Nothing good, i'll bet. Lets just get outside." Silas directed them as Terrance bashed the door open for them. Just as it looked like they were home free, something big dropped down in front of them with a ground shaking thud.

It was a little difficult to describe the thing that now stood before them. It wasn't man, nor Grimm, it was a machine. It had four legs, each one at the corner of a flat square section that served as its middle. On either side of that square, a large rectagular pod was present and on its underside was a set of two barrels and some hatch beneath it. On its front there was a red lens that Cedar could only guess acted as an eye for it.

"What… is that?!" Terrance grunted in shock, clutching his hammer tightly. The group stood off with the mechanical monster until they heard the sound of something whirring underneath it. The two barrels were spinning.

"RUN!" Cedar shouted, prompting them to split apart. The machine opened fire with its twin chainguns, leaving trails of bullet holes in the concrete. Cedar and April ran to the left, whilst Terrance, Silas and Brock went right. The machine lurched after Cedar and April, revealing wheels on the tips of its legs as it moved. The two ran between the warehouses with the machine hot on their heels.

"Shoot! It's not giving up!" Cedar shouted, hearing its machine guns spin up again.

"L-left!" April said, ducking into another gap to avoid a second burst of bullets. She pulled out her umbrella and aimed it as the machine rolled up, firing a shot. It dented the metal on the body but did little else to stop it.

"Duck!" Silas shouted behind the pair, prompting them both to drop to the floor. Behind them, Terrance fired a missile, rocketing into the machine and exploding, knocking it harder backwards. Cedar and April used the opportunity to run back to them and regroup.

"Okay, I don't suppose anyone has any bright ideas on how to fight this thing?" Silas said, crouching behind a shipping container.

"I c-called the police, they'll be here soon." Brock spoke up.

"Cops aren't gonna be any good against this thing!" Silas snapped. Cedar noticed he wasn't carrying the mouse Faunus. He hoped Silas had hidden him somewhere safe.

"It's all we've got, Silas…" April winced at his shouting. "F-for now, we should just try to hold it off."

"Yeah." Cedar said. "We should split up around it, keep it distracted from rage. There's still five of us and one of it."

"I think you're miscounting." a sneer drew their attention to the wild haired man, Edgar, looking at them down the sights of his gun. "I count two!"

"SCATTER!" Silas shouted and the group split up, Edgar's glowing shot barely missed Cedar's leg as they split up. They were right out in the open in front of the warehouse as Edgar leapt onto the shipping container, aiming his rifle at them. Cedar had no idea what ammo he was using, but he knew getting hit just once would probably leave lasting damage. And that Edgar was prioritising him. He fired another round from his rifle, Cedar leapt to the left just to dodge its speed, the shot leaving a scorch mark on the ground.

"Hey jerk!" Silas snapped, pointing the blade end of his fan axe and pulling the trigger, firing a spray of bullets from the shotgun within. Edgar took the hit but barely flinched, just firing back on Silas. The bright shot connected with Silas' shoulder and he was thrown backwards from the force, hitting the wall with a loud crash. The power behind the shot chilled Cedar to the bone.

"That's for the insult, punk." Edgar taunted, pointing his weapon at the bereft form of Silas. Cedar's eyes widened, another shot from that could kill him!

"NO!" Cedar lunged at him, attempting to grab him by the waist, only for him to kick him square in the face. But it provided enough time for Brock to follow up with an attack, swinging his arm mounted blades and striking Edgar in the chest. He fell backwards off the crate, rolled backwards and regained his footing as Brock followed, facing him down.

"I'm gonna rip you to shreds you trigger happy pest!" Brock threatened, that familiar angry side overcoming him with his arm blades opening into claws as he faced down his enemy.

"Not before I blow you to pieces, you punk kid!" Edgar retorted, pushing something on his rifle as its shape adjusted. Cedar found them an oddly fitting match for one another in terms of their attitudes.

His thoughts were interrupted by the return of the machine, dropping down onto him from one of the rooftops. With an audible yelp, Cedar leapt aside at the last second, the impact shaking the ground again as he fell onto his back. The machine bared down on him, those twin chain guns raring to open fire again and send Cedar to a bullet riddled grave. He couldn't see the others as he laid there on his pack, his pupils shrinking, his body shaking. He was alone, afraid and about to die.

And then, in that brief moment of fear and panic, it happened. The sensation he'd felt back back in the canteen urging his aura to glow a bright green. His form diminished in seconds, shrinking him down to six inches tall. He barely had time to be bewildered by his semblance going off as bullets rained down around him. Their automatic firepower was too random to pinpoint hit him, so he was able to dodge underneath the machine. Thankfully, in his smaller state, he retained his speed, so he could run out from its other side.

The machine had lost its target and tilted left and right, seeking Cedar out. He rushed to Silas' side to help him. He slipped his arm around his shoulders and dragged him behind the cover of some concrete blocks.

"Ugh… I'm fine." Silas insisted, though his lack of strength spoke otherwise.

"Just stay here. I'm going to help the others… and, can I borrow this?" Cedar asked, picking up Silas' split apart fan axe and holding one blade. Silas didn't argue as he stood and prepared to move. Something inside him kept him moving despite his fears. Adrenaline maybe? Or was it conviction?

Behind him, Edgar was firing his weapon more like an assault rifle than a sniper rifle, Brock bravely taking the punishment to close the gap and swing his blades, only for his opponent to duck and dodge around his wild swipes. Cedar approached carefully, holding the fan axe in both hands. He may not be familiar with wielding it, but he'd seen Silas use it. He'd do as he did.

"Hold still you punk!" Brock cursed as Edgar just kept dodging his swings.

"Die, freak." Edgar grinned as he jabbed his rifle right into Brock's chest, seconds away from pulling the trigger. Cedar intervened, swinging the fan axe up into the underside of the gun, knocking it upwards, the shot soaring over Brock's head. With Edgar distracted, Brock finally landed a hit with his claws, knocking Edgar backwards into a wall. Right when it seemed like they had him pinned, the machine raced over and brought a mechanical leg into Brock, kicking him aside like a football.

"Brock!" Cedar cried out. The boy who seemed near unstoppable taken down in one swift blow. Looking back, Edgar had leapt atop the flat section of the robot, standing on it like some kind of mechanical steed. It loomed over him as Cedar stared up in fear.

"What now, huh freak? You're screwed now!" The machine began to wind up its machine guns when it was hit from the side by an explosive, which came from Terrance. The machine turned to face him, Edgar looking increasingly agitated.

"Nice rocket!" he snapped. "Lemme show you some of my own!" The two pods on either side of the machine opened, revealing several more rockets stationed inside. Terrance's face lost its colour at the sight of them. Four of them fired at his position and the blonde barely had any time to run. The explosion threw him and Cedar saw his aura shatter on the wall, knocking him unconscious.

Cedar was horrified. Watching everyone go down one by one around him, it spurred him into further action. He had to stop Edgar before anyone else got hurt! Redoubling his courage or whatever it was that kept him going, leaping up atop the robot along with Edgar and swinging at him. He blocked with his gun and tried to boot Cedar in the stomach, but he dodged to the left, remembering how miss Lariet had used that move during training. He drove the blade into Edgar's side, making him wince and swing his gun around. Cedar ducked under it, then going into a shoulder barge into his chest. Edgar was stunned for a moment but retaliated by firing on him at close range. The glowing shots stopped his momentum and before Cedar could attack again, Edgar bunted him with the butt of his rifle. He fell backwards off of the machine and landed hard on the concrete below, wincing in pain. Edgar looked down over the edge of his machine and fired down at Cedar. He rolled as fast as he could to dodge the shots, feeling them narrowly scraping him but not landing a hit. He couldn't take much more of this.

"Ahahaha! Roll on the ground like the animal you are!" Edgar taunted maniacally. "I'm gonna punch so many holes in you! I'm-" Edgar stopped shooting when he heard a familiar sound. Sirens. Growing louder. "Damnit, frickin' cops." he knelt down and patted the top of the machine a few times, then snickered at Cedar on the ground. "Later, loser!" With that, the machine raced off at a fantastic speed. Even if Cedar had his weapon on him, he doubt he could land a shot with how fast Edgar and his mechanised monster were fleeing the warehouse district. He was gone from his sight in seconds. Everything was still and far quieter than before as Cedar lay there, looking at the blackened skies above. The rush was finally wearing off and he was finding it hard to move.

Even when the police cars arrived and officers flooded the scene, checking on the three incapacitated young men and finding the raincoat wearing April hidden during the fight, he couldn't move. When the officers tried to talk to him, his ears were deaf to their words, everything muffled and hazy. They managed to sit him up and bring him back to his senses, at least a little. Enough so he could detail the events of the night to them. The White Fang meeting, the man in red, the captured Faunus they were seeing to nearby, the machine and its maniacal master.

The men who arrived in an ambulance checked on Brock, Silas and Terrance. They were all fine besides some cuts and bruises, much to Cedar's relief. The mouse Faunus was still unconscious. April was alright, though she looked really rattled, sitting with a thermal blanket over her shoulders, her raincoat off. It'd been a hard ordeal for all of them and as Cedar sat beside April, she didn't even speak. She just leant on him and sniffled slightly, burned out by this whole ordeal as well. He couldn't blame her, seeing two of her teammates hurt by this. That animosity toward the maniacal mercenary still lingered in the air, as well as the White Fang members. At least, Cedar hoped, that as the police went into the warehouse to investigate, what he'd done would end with their capture.

But when an officer emerged and shouted something to a fellow, Cedar felt his heart sink.

* * *

"I do hate surprises." Crossheart muttered under his breath, walking through the city streets with his hands in his pockets. He'd accounted for so much when meeting with those animals, bringing his security, that valuable bargaining chip that had taken time to acquire, everything should have been perfect. To think a child would undo all of that so easily. It annoyed him to no end.

But in the grand scheme of things, it didn't matter. The Fang had double timed out of the warehouse with only a few threats from that great lummox of a leader, no doubt to some secondary location. He hadn't bothered to stick with them, lest he seem conspicuous. Even if the authorities learned how he was dressed tonight, he was too far for them to catch now.

"Sir!" His thoughts were interrupted by Edgar, running over from a nearby alleyway and kicking over a dustbin accidentally as he ran.

"Edgar. I take it you made enough noise to cover our new friends' escape?" Crossheart said.

"Of course! Dealing with those stupid kids was fun." he chuckled, that wide grin on his face never ceased to amaze him.

"And your machine?"

"Stowed and safe!" he nodded. "L.O.A.D is hidden somewhere those chump cops would never think to look!"

"Good, very good." he removed his hat and scratched an itch in his red hair. "In that case, i'd consider tonight a success. Let's head for home, shall we?"

"We haven't even had dinner!" Edgar protested and frowned, folding his arms. "You said we'd eat before the meeting and we didn't get to…"

"Something came up, I told you." Crossheart shook his head. "We'll pick up some takeout on the way back." He hated takeout food, truth be told. Far too greasy and fatty. But he'd make do over nothing for the night. He still had some fine wine waiting at home to wash it down with, after all.

"Now yer talking!" Edgar on the other hand seemed thrilled at the prospect of shovelling that grease covered junk down his throat. Simple men and simple pleasures, he thought to himself.

"Good. Now do keep your voice down, we don't want anyone spoiling the soiree now." Crossheart said as they continued walking down the road.

"Right… so uh, what's next exactly?" Edgar asked as they walked.

"Next, i've got some jobs for you to take care of overseas, whilst our lovely friend comes back from her excursions in Mistral. Then, we'll be laying low for a while, until the big event." He said, adjusting his suit slightly. "We're so close to it now Edgar… and someday soon, we'll be walking these streets not as shadows unfit to be seen by the human eye…" he looked up to the moon, the lofty cracked pearl that seemed almost as bright and brilliant as his ambitions.

"Someday, dear Edgar, we will walk these streets as kings."


	18. V1C18: Picking Up The Pieces

**Volume 1**

Chapter 18: Picking Up The Pieces

"So, when General Alabaster pursued the forces of Vale at Twin Peaks valley, can anyone tell me what he failed to take into account?" Professor Saccharo inquired, pointing to a holographic map on the board. A single hand raised in the crowd of students watching him. "Yes, Miss Ginshi!"

"He failed to take into account the caverns, sir." Yasmin answered proudly. "The Twin Peaks have a series of caves and tunnels that lead to a higher ridge. The Vale troops used those to split their forces apart, bait the Mantle forces into the valley and then attack from above."

"Yes, very good Miss Ginshi!" Saccharo clapped gleefully. "The Mantle forces were unfamiliar with the terrain and it lead to their defeat that day, leaving Vale to fight another day. Make sure you take note of that, terrain advantages are very important in the art of war. Mr Glade, are you listening?"

Cedar snapped to attention. He'd admittedly been drifting off slightly during the class, not out of boredom, his mind was simply elsewhere. It had only been yesterday he'd been surrounded by the White Fang and having his second encounter with the police in such a short span of time. It was hard to focus on class again when his mind lingered on the danger he'd faced.

"Yes, sorry sir." He replied, his fox ears perking up to show he was listening. The class continued and Cedar buried himself in taking notes to keep his mind off of it. His teammates looked at him with concern. They'd heard a little about what had happened but Cedar hadn't told them yet. Not for wanting to hide it or anything, he wouldn't do that to them again. He was just struggling to find an opportunity to talk about it.

The bell rang. Class was finished. Cedar packed up his things and prepared to leave.

"Oh, Cedar?" Professor Saccharo said before he could leave. "The headmaster would like to see you. Can you pop up to his office?" He felt his heart sink. The last time he'd been to see the headmaster, it was when he'd been in trouble. He doubted he was being called up for anything good.

"Yes, sir." Cedar nodded, moving to the door with his teammates. Before he could go, Isaac put a hand on his shoulder.

"Cedar." He said. "You've been awfully down lately. An' we wanna help ya."

"You can't just keep this bottled up forever." Yasmin folded her arms. "We'd like to know about it and you look like you're going to burst if you keep this up."

"We're worried about you." Lariah looked concerned, perhaps even a little upset. "Please Cedar, let us help." Cedar sighed, his team was so worried about him, all because he couldn't bring himself to talk about it. He felt ashamed of himself.

"I'm sorry." he said, face falling. "I promise, after I see Birchwood, i'll talk to you guys." That seemed to set them a little more at ease.

"Good. You'd best be keepin' that promise too, less I have ta do some convincin'." Isaac chuckled teasingly.

"We'll see you in the canteen." Lariah smiled. "We'll even save you something good!"

"Thanks guys." Cedar smiled weakly. Then he turned, headed for the elevator up to Birchwood's office. His friend's concerns helped ease his worries a little, but the fact remained his biggest problem was waiting for him upstairs. And he doubted he was happy.

* * *

The walk into the headmaster's office was as daunting as before. The soft wooden floor making a slight creak with each step, the motionless form of Birchwood behind his large desk, the great window letting in the light from behind and shadowing him like some fantastical being. It almost felt like he was stepping into another period in history right out of one of Professor Saccharo's lectures. If so, that would make Birchwood some kind of war general, here to discipline a private who hadn't learned his place. Cedar hated himself for coming up with that analogy.

"Sit down, Cedar." Birchwood said. Cedar obeyed and took his seat, gazing at his headmaster. The tension in the room was thick and smothering, the quiet only broken by the ticking of a clock hung upon the wall. "Do you know why i've called you here?"

"Something about last night, sir?" He replied.

"Yes." Birchwood nodded. "You got yourself involved in a White Fang meeting and came under attack from another dangerous criminal. Two incidents in such a short span of time, Cedar."

"Sir, in my defence, the guy mistook me for someone else, I thought if I said no to him, he'd hurt me." He explained and Birchwood nodded.

"Yes, I understand. However, running would have still been the better option. Because what you did, lead to three of my students getting hurt, possibly worse had you not called the police." Cedar shrank in his chair slightly, realising the implications of that.

"W-we saved that Faunus, sir…" Cedar tried to argue.

"And make no mistake, that is a good thing. I'm sure he's very thankful." The headmaster nodded again. "But that doesn't change the fact you continue to get yourself involved in very dangerous situations with dangerous people. You are still a student, not a huntsman. And as a student, it is my job to keep you safe." Birchwood's eyes stared into his own, a mixture of scolding and understanding mixed into his words. "The more you put yourself in danger, the more it reflects on your school and your teachers. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Cedar bowed his head. "I'm… sorry."

"Are you sorry you did what you did? Or are you sorry you didn't think through the implications?" Cedar's head jerked back up, unsure what Birchwood meant by that. "Because, you should be sorry for the latter. Do not be sorry for doing something that is ultimately the right thing to do, even if it's dangerous."

"I don't understand, sir." Cedar blinked a couple of times.

"You have the heart of a huntsman, Cedar." Birchwood pointed at him. "The want to do something right even if it's dangerous. To help those in need. And I don't want to crush that." Cedar's face lit up slightly. "I just want you to be mindful of the rules when you make these kinds of decisions. Keep your heart but use your head. A true huntsman employs both." Birchwood gently tapped the floor with his walking stick to punctuate his sentence. "Keep that in mind, alright?"

"Yes sir." Cedar nodded, feeling the tension lift off of him and the room even become a little brighter. "I promise i'll try to keep out of trouble from now on."

"Thank you. And keep up your training." Birchwood nodded firmly. Cedar decided not to waste this goodwill and headed for the elevator, pressing the button and leaving the office behind with a smile on his face.

Birchwood stood up as Cedar left, moving over to the window and looking out over the campus, the huge white castle of Lustre Academy rising all around, stretching to lands end with the sky set behind it. He shook his head ever so slightly, musing to himself on the students who surrounded him. To think, the year had only begun and yet signs of trouble were on the horizon…

His job was only going to get harder.

* * *

"And you just walked in there looking like that?!" Lariah gasped.

"Yeah. It was uh, pretty scary." Cedar downplayed it a little, sipping from a glass of juice.

"I must say, Cedar." Yasmin spoke up. "Your timid tendencies hide the heart of a lion, don't they?" She teased with a knowing smile.

"I don't even know how i did it! I just moved when I needed to do the right thing, you know?"

"You done did a good thing pardner." Isaac clapped him on the back. "Butcha gotta stop gettin' yerself in trouble by yer lonesome. We're still a team."

"Ahuh, Birchwood said so too." Cedar sighed. "I'm sorry guys."

"Hey now, c'mon." Lariah spoke up. "Don't be down about it! Be proud and just try to improve next time, you know?"

"Not that there should be a next time anyway. " Yasmin said. "My parents are getting worried with students getting wrapped up in criminal activity. And with yesterday, they're getting into further investigations."

"Huh?" Lariah said.

"A notorious criminal robs a dust department store, then the White Fang with one of its most notorious lieutenants shows up hiding in a warehouse? They think it's just the beginning." Yasmin spoke a little darkly, a grim look of concern on her face.

"Hate ta' agree." Isaac frowned. "Them hangin' around'll probably get more crooks in town. Like buzzards to a buffet."

"Oh man…" Lariah added, a gloom hanging over their table like a storm cloud. All except for Cedar, whose mind had caught onto something Yasmin had said.

"Yasmin, you said notorious lieutenant right? Do you know who he is?" casting his thoughts back to the large pig Faunus from the warehouse.

"Not personally." she replied. "But my parents have spoken about him a number of times, so I know a little." she began to explain. "His name is Oliver Butch. To some he's called 'Warpig' due to combat prowess. He has records of partaking in the Faunus Rights Revolution as a soldier, a feared one as well. A battlefield scourge who couldn't be felled, if you believe the stories." with the man's size, Cedar safely found himself believing it. "After the war, he settled down with a wife and child in Vale, but he lapsed back into his old ways and joined the Fang after maybe ten years."

"He's a war veteran?" Lariah gasped. "He must be crazy strong…"

"Seems ta' me like he's always had strong views on them Faunus folk. Guess it ain't much surprise fer him ta' shack up with that Fang lot." Isaac said. Hearing the description of the man, Cedar felt even more thankful he'd escaped the warehouse that night without trying to take on the titan of a man… and yet, why did he feel at odds with this description he was being told?

"I don't understand." Cedar spoke up. "Something about that doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?" Yasmin asked.

"You said he's a war veteran and a criminal. But, when I met him, he didn't seem that way. He didn't hurt me, he didn't want to hurt me either, even when all the others did. He said the Fang doesn't just hurt people and only hurts those who keep hurting people like us…" he looked a little sad.

"Hm. Oddly incongruous with his history." Yasmin said. "Although he could have just been acting, Cedar. Considering he's a criminal, i'd say to avoid wearing your heart on your sleeve for people like him." Cedar turned his head away after hearing that. Maybe she was right, perhaps he was being too sentimental about a criminal. But that doubt still nibbled at him.

"Is it flippin' true that grey haired bully fought a criminal?!" their conversation was interrupted when Ozzy suddenly sat down with them. Before Cedar could answer, the rest of team Torch sat opposite them, Brock was quiet as usual.

"Um, yeah I guess." Cedar nodded. "Brock did too."

"We heard!" Candi nodded. "We're so happy for him!"

"And concerned for him." Martin reminded her, adjusting his glasses slightly. "We were all very worried when he didn't come back to the room last night and then we find out he's been getting involved with criminals."

"I'm sorry." Cedar frowned, shying away from Martin.

"Don't be. He already explained it." Martin shook his head. "I'm halfway between being scared for him and being glad he survived."

"I'm not a little kid." Brock tried to argue, still keeping his head down.

"You're not a huntsman either." Martin argued back, silencing him.

"Cmon Martin, you're being too hard on him." Candi nudged him in the side. "It was just a bad accident, it wasn't intentional."

"Accident or no, it's all the same at the end of a gun like that." Martin shook his head.

"For the record Martin, I agree." Yasmin spoke up. "But there's little to be done about it now, besides avoiding getting into trouble again."

"But why flippin' shouldn't we?!" Ozzy spoke up. "If Cedar found criminals, if he just called the cops, they woulda gotten away! Because'a him, they got some caught!"

"What if he'd gotten hurt, Ozzy?" Martin frowned, looking at him. "The school would've been held responsible. It could've been trouble for all of us."

"He flippin' did the right thing!" Ozzy shouted.

"Oswald, please keep it down." Martin sighed.

"But it ain't right ya drongo! He didn't do nothin' wrong! He-"

"Ozzy!" Cedar suddenly spoke up amidst the loud shouting of the Vacuoan boy. "Please, it's fine. You don't need to speak up for me."

"But-"

"No. Really. It's okay." Cedar smiled. "You're right, stopping criminals is the right thing to do but I need to remember i'm not a huntsman yet."

"I still don't like it." Ozzy pouted and sat down.

"Wait a few years and you'll be fine pummelling them to your heart's content." Yasmin snickered, flicking her fan over her mouth. "I wonder how else that boundless energy of yours is used?" If Ozzy understood what Yasmin meant, he didn't show it, instead opting to just blankly stare at her.

Cedar smiled and drank some more from his glass. Even with these incidents behind him and the worries he felt for his home, he was glad to be here. With people he wouldn't hesitate to call his friends and teammates. Be they Icicle, Torch, Star or even Vesper, they were friends and allies for all their coming trials. He could trust in them. He could work with them.

And maybe together, they could all become the huntsmen and huntresses they wanted to be.

* * *

"So, no-one was lost?"

"No, Adam. Only some of the supplies and the prisoner the man I told you about brought to us."

"Hmph. Making a deal with humans. You'll be explaining that to High Leader Khan, old man."

"You take what you can get, Adam. And we're not exactly flush with options right now."

"And what makes you think he didn't hire those people to disrupt the meeting and steal back what they brought?"

"Come on, Adam, it was just a bunch of kids. You think he paid them off with cookies or something?" a rumbling chuckle escaped Oliver's lips, much to the distaste of his red headed contact, gritting his teeth on the video screen.

"Whatever. Look, things are in motion but i'm going to need manpower. So once you've set up, send reinforcements." Oliver put a hand to his chin.

"And you're sure High Leader Khan authorised a full attack on Vale like this? It seems drastic."

"Are you questioning her decisions?" He said, almost threateningly. Oliver didn't like his tone, but Adam did have his position of power for a reason. He'd be a fool to distrust word from the High Leader herself.

"No. I'll send them in about two weeks." He conceded. "Anything else?"

"Yes." Adam nodded. "There's a traitor in the first years of Beacon. One I know well."

"Ahh… you mean the Belladonna girl, right?" Oliver looked grim.

"Yes, her." Adam nodded. "Once everything is carried out, i'm going to find her and show her the cost of desertion." Oliver sighed slightly.

"Just don't let it cloud your goals, young one. Remember the cause we all fight for."

"As if you'd need to remind me, old man." Adam smirked slightly, folding his arms. "I'll be in touch. Make sure they're ready to leave."

"Goodbye." Oliver ended the call there, the screen blanking and Adam's image disappearing. The large man let out a sigh of relief as he turned from the monitor, striding across the room and taking a seat upon a closed container. He had issues with a man like Adam. So young and full of passion, hot blooded and strong, like most angry young men fighting for their cause. Lacking the foresight and the implications of their actions. He reminded him so much of the teenagers he'd known back in his youth, before the revolution. Even he'd been that way once, he had no shame in admitting that.

But as he'd grown older, he'd grown wiser. Despite his mighty strength and endurance, he knew it took more than one angry man to change a worldwide perspective. It took organization, strategy and the culling of those who perpetuate the hate. An attack of this magnitude upon Vale seemed too far for something like this. But whilst he had his doubts with Adam, he trusted the High Leader. And so, he trusted Adam too. She had appointed him to his position for a reason, so he would follow faithfully, for the time being.

He reached a large hand inside his jacket and removed his scroll, checking the image gallery. A sad smile formed upon his face. Every picture of his sweet Olivia made him homesick. Imagining her growing up without him was torment, driving white hot nails into his heart. But, the idea of her growing up in a world that despised her kind and would not accept her drove him further along his path for the White Fang. Looking at these photos reminded him of what he was fighting for. A world for his Olivia. A world he may not even get to see for himself. But he was fine with that. All his life he'd been fighting for that world. What was a few more weeks, months or years?

"Lieutenant Butch." A voice from the door drew his attention. It was Dingo and a few others he'd called in, some of their more elite members. The three siblings with their doglike masks, the bird footed Faunus with a beaked mask on his face. "You called for us?"

"Yes, Dingo." He rose to his feet. "Lieutenant Adam has operations underway in Vale. I want you to take those we've gathered and travel to Vale to meet up with him. You will address him as you would me and follow his orders. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir." Dingo nodded. "But, may I just ask… is this a punishment? For my earlier incompetence…" He was of course referring to letting in the boy with the fox ears instead of Cress Garotte.

"No, it's no punishment." he chuckled a little. "Just another job. We'll handle on our own for the time being."

"Very well, sir." Dingo smiled slightly. "We'll begin preparations." They left his doorway and Oliver was left alone once again. His thoughts turned to the future once again, the operations of Adam, the High Leader's ultimate goals…

There was so much more work to be done.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello! Duke here. So, I usually don't like putting author's notes on my writing since I see it as being unprofessional, but I felt a need to have a little chat here before we go any further with this story.**

 **First and most importantly, thank you all for taking the time to read what i've written. I realize I don't have a particularly large audience, but I truly do appreciate those who show up to have a read of what i've made. Even a single view is worth a lot to me since it means someone has taken a chance upon my writing, that means the world to me.**

 **Second, this story. We'll call Chapter 18 here the end of my first volume. I might go and edit chapter headings a little later to reflect this but that'll take a little experimentation. As for where it's going to go next, well we'll be delving into bigger events and i'll be getting around to involving more characters from the show with the story. Whilst this story will mostly remain OC focused, I do want to give the canon cast their dues since they're a bit part of what motivated me to write RWBY fanfiction in the first place. I've still got a lot to come for this story and so long as I have two hands and a keyboard, i'll be here to write it out.**

 **Third, why am I writing this story in the first place? Well truth be told, I originally made just a small team of OCs back during Season 2 and from there I just ended up making so many characters for the universe I felt compelled to write about them just to get it all out of my head. And that's pretty much what you'll be reading over the coming months.**

 **Finally, upload schedule. I realize i've been really wishy washy over that. I've been trying to upload on Saturdays and Fridays and make it weekly but sometimes, most times even, that just doesn't work out. I do at the very least try to get a new chapter out every two weeks at the very least. So hopefully i'll be able to up my writing production schedule, but that's a real dice toss.**

 **That's all for now, I hope you'll all stay tuned for more. Once again, thank you for reading!**


	19. V2C1: When She Was There

**Volume 2**

Chapter 19: When She Was There

Lustre Academy was in a state of tranquility. After the incident at the warehouse, team Icicle (and Cedar specifically) kept their heads down and buried themselves in their studies to avoid any further trouble. The days passed, training sessions and classes flew by and a few times they hung out with team Torch. More than once, Isaac and Ozzy clashed and settled their arguments with an eating contest. Isaac always won. Outside, the red leaved trees began to shed their covers, the white stone paths peppered with their discarded leaves like sprinkles on an iced cake. Cedar found himself pulling his jacket a little tighter when he went outside and keeping his scarf wrapped up. The seasons were changing.

The peaceful monotony was broken when Friday arrived. Team Icycle had a free period that day and were spread out across the school. Yasmin had settled comfortably in the library and was studying a book of weapon blueprints Professor Golem had told her about, since she'd felt a need to upgrade her weapons lately.

"Page 58." a voice alerted Yasmin to another presence. There was an older girl standing behind her, brown haired and bearing a pair of fox ears. "That's where the juicy stuff is."

"Excuse me?" Yasmin raised an eyebrow.

"I've read that book. Page 58 has the best designs, trust me." she smirked assuringly, which Yasmin soon matched.

"You seem awfully confident." she covered her mouth with her fan. "Are you trying to show off to me?"

"Nope, just helping out." The Faunus assured her, turning and walking out of the library, leaving Yasmin uncertain and bearing a lingering sense of familiarity. And that feeling would soon spread amongst her teammates.

Isaac was in the technician's lab, working on maintaining Outlaw Sunday. He'd recently been having a couple of jamming issues with the firing hammer and he was trying to fix it. And whilst he was mechanically competent, a given talent for most huntsmen, this problem with his firearm had stumped him.

"Is it jamming?" A voice spoke up as the fox eared girl had somehow slipped in beside him without him noticing. The cowboy was rather taken aback.

"Uhhh, pardon me ma'am, but when did ya get here?"

"Just now." The girl said casually, peering closer at the shotgun. "You should change the firing hammers, they're looking old and are probably sticking." Isaac raised an eyebrow in surprise at that suggestion.

"Y'all can recognise the problem with a weapon y'ain't ever seen before?" he said.

"Kinda. Mint's rifle had a similar problem once, same principle really." she smiled cheerfully. "Just give it a try and if it doesn't work, come tell me i'm a big dummy."

"Uhh… I s'pose I can." Isaac looked down at his weapon. "But iffin ya don't mind my askin' missy, who are ya?"

"Just a senior looking out for the newbies." she gave him another big smile before she left the room. Isaac refocused himself on the task of fixing his shotgun, changing the hammers and then pulling the trigger to test it.

The hammers flicked perfectly into place.

Lariah was outside playing with a football, specifically trying to keep it in the air with some well timed kicks before flicking them towards a target she'd placed against the wall. She was doing this to practice being better with her mighty flail and do kick shots toward nearby targets. The ball bounced up three times before she kicked it to the wall, missing the target and bouncing onto the ground.

"Dang it." Lariah frowned and went to pick up the ball only for it to suddenly roll back to her feet on it's own. Her eyes widened.

"You're kicking it too high." someone said. She turned to see the fox Faunus girl, one arm outstretched.

"Too high?" Lariah echoed.

"Mhm, makes it harder to control where you aim. You need to hone your reflexes." She advised, the ball suddenly rolling towards her own feet. She flicked it up with her foot, bounced it three times from foot to foot, before doing a spinning kick and knocking the ball into the target with a mighty thud.

"Whoa! That's cool!" Lariah gasped at the display. "Do you use a flail too?!" The Faunus burst into a fit of giggles.

"Heh! Nah I just play football a lot." She assured her. "You keep at it and maybe someday I'll give you a game."

"That sounds fun." Lariah nodded. "Maybe both our teams can play sometime!"

"Yeah, maybe. See ya round!" She turned and ran off quickly. As Lariah pondered who that girl was, something in her pocket moved around.

* * *

 _BZZZZZZT! BZZZZZZT!_

Cedar's scroll vibrated as it received a message. Cedar slipped it out and checked the screen, noticing it was posted by the school.

"All students please come to the entrance hall, a special assembly is to be held regarding the coming term and activities."

It was vague enough that it could be about anything but it stirred up curiosity in the young man's mind. With a slight spring in his step he made for the hall.

Cedar was one of the last students into the room. He slipped through the crowds until he found his own team gathered near the front of the stage.

"Hey guys!" Cedar shouted and took a seat beside them.

"Hey!" Lariah greeted him. "You been having a good day?"

"It's been alright I suppose." he replied. "What about you three?"

"I finally started getting my weapon kicks right!" Lariah beamed.

"I fixed my sidearm." Isaac added, his usual content smile was present.

"And I was able to find some good blueprints to use for weapon improvement." Yasmin added, her usual sly smile instead a genuine positive grin.

"Wow, you guys sure are having a good day." Cedar smiled, looking at his team.

"Ahuh! All thanks to that fox girl." Lariah added.

"Fox girl?" Yasmin echoed.

"Yeah! She showed up out of the blue and helped me out with my kicks." Lariah explained.

"Funny, a fox gal helped me out too." Isaac said.

"Same here. It must have been the same person." Yasmin added. But while the three of them discussed that idea, Cedar had gone deaf to them. The mention of a fox Faunus had set his once docile mind ablaze with suspicion. Could it be who he was thinking about? Had she approached all of them but him? Was that possible?

"Students." he was broken from his contemplations by Birchwood who had entered the room without his notice and was now drawing the students' attention. "I have some very exciting news to impart. I have been in contact with the councils and headmasters from the four kingdoms regarding the upcoming Vytal Festival." Those last two words practically set the entire room alive with tension. The students were now hinging on his next sentence. "And, with a little convincing, it has been decided that this year, Lustre Academy shall participate in the Vytal Festival!"

The energy in the room reached positively glowing levels, a cheer of excitement rang out amongst the students. The Vytal festival was a huge event, held biannually to allow the schools to interact and duke it out. Strong showings at the festival led to fame and glory! And ever since Lustre Academy had been opened, they hadn't yet had a chance to compete until now! Amidst the eclectic cheering and chatter, the loud strike of Birchwood's walking stick on the stage caught the students' attention, turning their eyes back to him.

"Yes, it's all well and good to be excited. This is a great honour for Lustre Academy to finally be allowed entrance, as it is for all of you to compete. But don't forget, you will be representing your school and this will be our first impression. So it's not just a big party where you can all go wild, you are still hunters and huntresses in training. Remain diligent!" he struck the stage once more with his cane, sending a shiver through the crowd.

"With that announcement in mind, the faculty have decided to increase your training in preparation for the event. So next week you will all be going on field trips to see hunter and huntress life outside of your school." The murmurs returned, speculation running wild on what kind of jobs they'd be doing. "Later today we will have job boards stationed in this room for you to choose from. Some of the advanced positions will be reserved for third and fourth years and you will have escorts to keep you safe." At this point, Cedar assumed the assembly would be over, but Birchwood had one last surprise for them. That surprise came in the form of four girls who suddenly got on stage from in the crowd and stood in a line behind Birchwood's pulpit.

"As a further part of your training, the third and fourth year students will be available over the next few weeks for extra sparring sessions and aura practice. In particular, team Pumice behind me will be in charge of this, so come and talk to them if you want more practice." The four girls on the stage left Cedar's mouth agape. For among them stood a fox Faunus, brown hair complimenting her fox ears, an open leather jacket and simple skirt with high brown boots. It'd been a while since he'd seen her last, but she was still easily recognisable. He'd finally found her.

"That is all. You're dismissed." Birchwood finished and left the stage. Team Icicle began to gossip.

"So, that's team Pumice. And that fox girl is one of them. I should have guessed." Yasmin smiled, covering her mouth with a fan. "Are any of you aware of the rumours?"

"Only a couple. I heard one from Martin." Isaac said. "S'posed ta be the school's headliners, right? Near pros even if they're only third years."

"Quite so." Yasmin said. "I heard one of them is already on the level of a professional huntress thanks to a powerful semblance."

"Who? The fox?" Lariah queried.

"Yes. I don't know her name, but she's supposed to be very go-" Yasmin continued before Cedar spoke up.

"Cinnamon." he said. His team turned to look at him, the little Faunus had his hands curled into fists and his head down, fringe covering his eyes as they wavered and watered slightly. "Her name is Cinnamon Glade."

"Glade?!" Lariah looked like she'd been smacked in the face by a haddock.

"So, you have a sister." Yasmin snapped her fan shut, eyeballing her teammate. "Juicy bit of gossip, Cedar. Why wait until now to tell us?"

"It never came up before." He quickly replied, getting a little defensive.

"Alright, calm down, I wasn't making any accusations." by now the three of them had learned to trust Cedar after the last time he lied getting them into such trouble. But their musings were interrupted by the approaching of one of the girls from team Pumice, specifically a blonde girl in an odd pillar-box hat with a sunflower pin on one side.

"Pardon my interruption." she began, placing a hand to her chest. "But I overheard you speaking of my teammate. Is there some kind of problem?" her voice was courteous and quaint, all the trappings of high class and a rich pedigree.

"Why yes, we were." Yasmin decided to address the young lady. "But there's no problem, we simply heard some rumours about her."

"I am glad to hear that." she nodded with a pleasant smile. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Safflower Crown and I am a member of team Pumice."

"Wait!" Yasmin's eyes opened wide, her face draining of colour. "Don't tell me… _that_ Safflower Crown?! As in, Crown Enterprises?!"

"Yes, I am the daughter of their current CEO." She said with a little flourish, making her lemon coloured pea coat flutter slightly. In the light, Cedar couldn't help but notice it sparkled slightly. Yasmin looked ready to burst.

"How did I not hear about this sooner?! How can the daughter of the company that produces some of the best designed huntsman wear this side of Mistral have slipped under my nose like this?! It's inconceivable! Impossible! Intangible!" Yasmin freaked out, her black hair coming loose and fluttering around her head as she yanked at it in frustration. Seeing her lose her cool like this was pretty startling to Cedar.

"Please, um, do not concern yourself so much over it." Safflower looked a little awkward as Yasmin's loss of composure. It took a firm slap on the back from Isaac to snap her back to her senses.

"Okay, i'm better now." Yasmin drew a hand over her face and did her hair back up. "Terribly sorry, Safflower. Now um, you were saying about training?"

"I don't believe I was… however." Safflower became a little more comfortable. "If you would like to train with our team, just be sure to tell us. We'd be more than happy to."

"Mighty kind'a you folks." Isaac said with a nod. "Helpin' out yer fellow hunters like that. We'll be sure ta keep it in mind."

"That is good to know." Safflower said, nodding slightly. "I will look forward to training you." She turned and went to go and speak with someone else in the room, leaving Icicle to think about matters. But whilst Lariah and Isaac had their mind on training, Yasmin was more interested in Cedar, standing quiet and alone.

"So." Yasmin now turned to Cedar. "Now I think it's time you told us about Cinnamon."

"What?" Cedar looked up, emerging from his thoughts. "Cinnamon? Why?"

"Because if a name is going to send you into this kind of state, there's clearly something going on with her and you." She folded her arms, standing firm and imposing to her teammate. "And i'd rather you tell us now rather than trying to hide it and deal with it yourself." Those words struck home in him. After the last incident where he'd kept something to himself, she was right to call him out on it. Internalising his pain only led to further strife within their group. His team deserved better than that after how good they'd been. He smiled wryly, turning to Yasmin.

"Okay. I'll tell you everything." He agreed. Yasmin gestured for Isaac and Lariah to come and listen. He began to speak, telling a tale of before Lustre, back when he was in school.

* * *

"Heh look! I told you these were real!" A young brat cackled, yanking on Cedar's ears with reckless abandon. The Faunus cried in pain with every sharp tug.

"Please Blau, stop!" he yelled, only to receive a sharp kick to the stomach from one of his tormentor's friends, knocking him aside. He rolled into some nearby dustbins, toppling them over and emptying their putrid contents onto him. The three bullies cackled at his misfortune.

"Bullseye! Nice kick, Schwarz!" The third one said.

"Man that stuff stinks!" Blau reviled, pinching his nose. "Kinda fitting for a fox huh? Digging in bins." He joked whilst Cedar crawled out from under the trash with tears in his eyes, trying to scramble and get away. But the third boy planted his foot on his back, holding him to the ground.

"Good going Grun! Stop him scurrying back into a foxhole!" Schwarz sneered, moving to one side of him with Blau. "So what should we do next with him?"

"I say we feed him some of that trash! He'd eat it right?" Blau suggested, much to Cedar's horror.

"Haha good idea!" Grun grinned. "Maybe he'll get a taste for it a-" before he could finish, someone slugged him right in the face and he staggered backwards. Before Blau and Schwarz knew what was coming, they too had been struck right in the jaw and went reeling.

"Back off!" a female voice barked, a girl standing in front of Cedar dressed in the school's grey uniform and a skirt, a pair of fox ears atop her head. "You're terrible! How could you hurt him like that for doing nothing?!"

"He's a freak, he deserves it." Blau growled. "Did you come running out of some alley to help your fellow trash-eater?"

"Run along, dumpster diver!" Schwarz cracked his knuckles. "You stay and we'll beat you up!"

"Is that supposed to scare me?" The girl replied, stamping her foot on the ground and flipping up a nearby dustbin lid into her hand. "I could take on all of you! Just _try_ and pick on me, I dare you!"

Cedar didn't get a close view of what happened during the fight between his sister and the bullies. Most he remembered seeing was her spinning that dustbin lid into Grun's cheek and taking a kick to the side from Blau. A few minutes later the three boys were limping away, licking their wounds and shouting curses back at them about their entire species being outcasts. The next thing he saw was Cinnamon's hand reaching down to him and helping him up. His sister was in bad shape, one of her eyes was black, her nose was bleeding and her lip was split. But she had a smile on her face, something Cedar looked up to her for.

"Are you okay, Cedar?" she asked. He wiped his eyes and sniffed a little bit, still reeking of trash and bearing his own wounds.

"Cinnamon… i'm sorry." he whimpered, nodding ever so slightly. She sighed and patted his shoulder.

"Honestly Cedar. You need to learn to stand up for yourself against creeps like that. You're never going to get anywhere if you let little idiots like that push you around." She lectured him. He just nodded some more, too upset to take it in right now. "Come on, let's get home and clean up. I'll talk to mum." The two left the back alley together, going back home to questioning parents and the comfort they needed.

It wasn't the first time Cinnamon had saved him and it wouldn't be the last.

* * *

The last time he saw Cinnamon as far as he remembered was three years ago. Cinnamon had graduated combat school and had been accepted into Lustre Academy. She was due to leave that day. Cedar had decided to go and say goodbye to her, so he'd entered her room. Hers was a little bigger than his, due to her being the big sister and all. Cedar had never minded that much.

"Hey, Cinnamon." he smiled as he approached her, the Faunus girl was packing one of her bags on the bed. She turned to see him. Her face looked a little flat.

"Oh, hey Cedar. What's up?" she closed the bag on the bed.

"Just thought i'd come say goodbye, you know?" He smiled warmly, but the gesture wasn't reciprocated. "Cin? Is something wrong?"

"I heard a rumour about last week." she said. "I heard Grun, Blau and Schwarz came after you on Friday. And that you managed to get away from them, by climbing up a wall and running over the rooftops." Cedar remembered his face had lit up at the mention of that.

"Ahuh!" he began, nodding emphatically. "I took it up just to pass the time but, it's great! They couldn't catch me! Finally, i've got a way to never be bullied again." Despite his earnest cheer, Cinnamon didn't look impressed. Or even that happy. She simply sighed solemnly.

"Cedar… it's great you used that hobby for something, but you didn't fix the problem." She began to say. "I told you didn't I? You need to learn to fight back against your bullies, not run away from them." Like a sliver of ice in his heart, Cedar's face fell.

"What? But… I-I don't want to fight them Cinnamon." he winced. "I don't like hitting people."

"And that's why they're always going to pick on you." Cinnamon prodded him in the chest. "You're too soft, Cedar. You need to toughen up, you can't let them take advantage over you! If they can, everyone else will!"

"But Cinnamon!" Cedar protested, feeling tears spring to his eyes. "That's not fair! I'm not tough or brave, like you are!"

"It's not something you're born with! You learn it!" Cinnamon prodded him again, her eyes burning like coals in a fireplace. "You have to make it for yourself! Because i'm not going to be here forever for you! What if someone worse than those three comes after you, huh? What if you have to fight a Grimm?!"

"I-I don't know!" Cedar sniffed. "Sis, please! I can't… I don't…" he was tripping over his words and before he could say anything more, the ball dropped and Cinnamon delivered a crushing blow.

" **You're just a coward, Cedar."**

A sledgehammer fell and crushed his heart. His words died in his throat and his eyes dilated. His eyes streamed in embarrassment and sorrow. How could someone he cared for so much do this to him? Cut him down like this? He couldn't fathom it, everything just felt cold and distant.

"I'm going, Cedar. Goodbye." Cinnamon grabbed her bag from the bed and left the room. He barely even registered it. He just sank to his knees and huddled up, that awful phrase echoing in his head, a shackle around his brain that strangled the cheer and love out of him.

That day was burned into his memory forever. A horrible scar he lived with for 3 years. And up until now, it was a scar he'd kept hidden.

* * *

"Ever since that day" Cedar explained "I've been trying to get stronger, be brave, become a huntsman to prove Cinnamon wrong. That's why I came to Lustre! To find her and show her!" his face fell. "...but now i'm seeing her and hearing about her, it's like I don't even register to her. So how am I supposed to prove myself to her now?!" Frustration was setting in now, even as he let his pain out to try and feel better, it still hurt him just to speak.

"Cedar." Yasmin suddenly grabbed a hold of his hand, holding it in front of his face and hers. "I understand you completely." Those words shocked him back to reality, out of his sad delusions, his eyes meeting his teammates. "I know the pain of looking up to an older sibling only for them to dash your feelings about them."

"You do?" Cedar questioned in disbelief. Yasmin simply nodded.

"You saw how Rhuber treated me when you visited my home. Becoming a true huntsman has, unfortunately, gone to his head. Ever since then, he's treated me as his inferior rather than his sibling and he regularly reminds me of his higher stature."

"Yasmin… I had no idea. I thought it was just how you two interacted." Cedar gasped.

"No, sadly." she shook her head, her voice sincere and lacking her usual playful nature. "But if you take refuge in anything, know that I understand your pain." Cedar did find some odd comfort in it. It was nice to have someone close to him who had at least some knowledge of this kind of problem.

"But… what can I do?" he asked. To that, Yasmin had no answer.

"We'll think of something." Lariah put an arm around his back and smiled. "Maybe for now, we should just focus on training for the festival and picking our field trip!"

"She's right." Isaac nodded. "Sometimes just focusin' on somethin' else helps a lot. Like wood carvin'." Cedar didn't quite understand that notion, but there was a point he agreed with.

"Yeah. You guys are right." He nodded. "For now, i'll just focus on what's ahead… and worry about Cinnamon another time." It wasn't the best strategy, he admitted to himself as his team left the assembly hall. But it was all he had for the time being until he could find a way to talk to Cinnamon and show her he'd improved.

He'd show her. Show her he wasn't a coward anymore.

He wasn't a coward.

He wasn't.

Right?


	20. V2C2: Roadmap

**Volume 2**

Chapter 2: Roadmap

Team Icicle decided to take their minds off of the story of Cedar's sister by playing some games in their room, courtesy of Yasmin's game console. It was a good way to focus them on something else and even hone their reflexes as a form of training. Or at least, that was how Lariah justified it. No-one tried to correct her.

The day slinked by without their notice as the game held their attention, right up until another announcement got their scrolls buzzing. It read that the job boards were set up in the assembly hall and they could go and check them out. They finished their game and went back to the hall, Lariah leading them.

The job boards were large holographic screens with various job postings available. The hall was a little crowded but it was clear they were still fairly early. Teams were already perusing the selections available.

"It looks like the missions are split into types, look." Yasmin pointed. "That one says 'Search and destroy' and that one says 'Rescue.' I see a 'Bounty' board too."

"So what should we go for?" Lariah asked. "I'm kinda hankering for search and destroy! That way we can go crush some Grimm!"

"I must admit, i'd be mighty fine with that kinda job." Isaac agreed. Cedar and Yasmin had no objections so they went to check the board. All the 'Search and destroy' jobs looked pretty serious, dealing with Grimm packs, special Grimm types and even bandit camps. However, a lot of them had a line of text reading 'Second years and above' or 'Third years and above.' And worse still, a couple of them had already been greyed out and had team names next to them.

"Well, so much for that." Yasmin frowned. "Almost all the good ones seem to be gone."

"Let's try something else." Cedar suggested. They took their time going from board to board, checking out the various missions but everytime they found something they wanted to do, it was either taken or for years above them. All the best choices already seemed to be taken!

"Maybe we should try something a bit more low key." Lariah frowned. "Everyone else is snapping up all the exciting stuff."

"Ya sayin' we should do somethin' borin' pardner?" Isaac scratched his head slightly.

"No no!" Lariah shook her head. "Just something that doesn't look exciting but is actually interesting." Cedar and the others looked unsure what that meant, but they continued to look regardless. Whilst checking around, Cedar spied Violetta and team Vesper next to one of the boards.

"Gimme a sec guys." Cedar split from his group and approached her. "Hey, Violetta!"

"Oh, hello Cedar." The violet haired girl turned to him. "Can I help you?"

"I hope so." He chuckled wryly. "We're kinda having trouble picking where to go for our field trip. All the exciting looking ones are being taken and we're not sure what to pick."

"I see." Violetta nodded. "We were having a similar issue. But we found a little trick to finding something of interest."

"Ya gotta pick something with fine print!" Raijin interrupted from behind, the black haired boy looking quite pleased with himself.

"Fine print?" Cedar echoed.

"Pick something that _looks_ dull, but has the potential to be way more exciting!" Raijin boasted. "We're taking a convoy mission to Vale! It might seem like a bunch of travel, but we bet we'll have plenty of Grimm to crush!" Cedar's eyebrows raised in surprise. It was a bit of an odd way to think about it, but it oddly made sense. Now if only he could apply that thinking to their choice.

"Thanks guys. Really appreciate it!" Cedar smiled and returned to his team, looking at a board marked 'Village security.'

"I mean it can't be that exciting…" Lariah frowned, folding her arms.

"I'm startin' ta think we should jus' go ahead'n pick somethin'." Isaac wondered. "Or iffin' we should try one'a them convoy jobs."

"I have an idea." Cedar spoke up, drawing the attention of his team. He'd spotted a name on the board he recognised. With a bit of a stretch, he pointed to a job right at the top of the board. "That one."

"Tarutarus?" Yasmin read the name. "Why there?"

"I remember the name from home. It's a village not far from here, built before Vault was. That's gotta be worth a looking at, right?" Cedar explained, remembering a tale from his mother about how she'd worked there once and how it tended to be a haven for interesting events. His team were quiet a moment, all three of them turning the prospect over in his head.

"...I don't have any better ideas!" Lariah shrugged whilst grinning as wide as she could.

"Local and familiar sounds good." Yasmin agreed. "It would be nice to gain some perspective outside of Mistral."

"Sounds darn tootin' pardner." Isaac agreed with a smile and a nod. "I'll sign us right up." The cowboy leaned in and tapped the option, typing in the word ICYL. They had accepted the mission, village defence in Tarutarus!

* * *

The time up until the field trip passed quickly and without incident. Before they knew it, Cedar and the others were packing their bags. Cedar was packing light but his teammates were packing heavy. Yasmin in particular seemed to be loading up on spare clothes. Always fashionable, Cedar thought to himself.

"Lariah, why are you packing a fishing rod?" Yasmin asked, sneaking a peak in Lariah's bag.

"For fishing!" she answered, rather obviously. "We don't know if there's water near where we're going! If we can fish, I sure as heck want to!"

"Have you seen outside of Vault, Lariah?" Yasmin chuckled. "There's no water besides the ocean."

"I can still hope." Lariah pouted.

"Iffin yer done, let's be off." Isaac said as he tugged the drawstring on his bag shut, hefting it over his shoulder. Together, they went downstairs to the assembly hall where the other students had gathered. And not only them, the teachers stood waiting and they were joined by other hunters and huntresses, there to chaperone the students on their journeys. Among them, Cedar recognised the Ginshi family, particularly Rhuber. He was considered enough of a huntsman to be going with them on missions? That meant he was probably pretty good.

Before anyone could stop him, Rhuber left the stage and was approaching Yasmin and her team. "Tch…" Yasmin grunted in annoyance on seeing him approach her.

"Hey Yas." He greeted her with a smirk. "I heard you're just going to idle in a village for your field trip. Giving up on your training already?"

"Not at all." Yasmin replied firmly. "We'll be training aplenty. Unfortunately we weren't able to take any bounty or search and destroy missions, which i'm sure you'll be going on."

"You know me too well." Rhuber snickered. "Yes, we're going after some pathetic robbers in Vale. Should be fun to teach the spring chicks how to kick butt."

"It's a big responsibility beyond simple combat, Rhuber." Yasmin reminded him, becoming increasingly confrontational.

"You're doubting me, baby sister? When you still can't call on your family spirit?" Rhuber taunted, Yasmin gritting her teeth. "At least i'm going to be doing something to improve, rather than sitting in some humdrum town painting my nails."

"Pardner." Isaac stepped forward. "Ya sure like ta spout off. Ain't no-one ever taught'ya not ta' disrespect yer kin?" His face was fixed in a frown.

"I'm sorry, are you a Ginshi?" Rhuber asked rhetorically. "No? Then it's not your business."

"Yer pickin' on a member of ma' posse. That makes it ma' business." Isaac stood firm. Rhuber seemed to back off a little.

"Just remember, sister. You've got a lot to live up to. And that's why I do what I do, someone needs to remind you of your place." He tried to rationalise it before he backed off and walked away, going back to the stage.

"How could I ever forget with your harassment?" Yasmin muttered, earning her a hand on the shoulder from Isaac. "Thanks, cowboy…"

"T'weren't nothin'." Isaac assured her. "S'what a leader has to do issall." Cedar smiled, the camaraderie Isaac displayed was heartwarming. However, a question was lingering in his head.

"Say, who's going with us?" Cedar asked, his teammates turning to him.

"...consarnit, I can't remember." Isaac scratched his chin.

"Me either!" Lariah shook her head. "I don't know if it was even written on the board!"

"You'd do well to take note of such things." A female voice alerted them to the presence of a familiar teacher, the strawberry blonde woman with the ornate golden scabbard hanging off the side of her dress.

"Miss Lariet! You're going with us?" Lariah said.

"Yes." She nodded. "I am familiar with Tarutarus and the area around it. I'll be sure to enrich this trip for you."

"Well it's better than getting Professor Redwood." Yasmin shrugged slightly, only for a crossbow bolt to whizz past her ear, regret spreading over her face. Redwood scowled at her from across the room.

"I think it's best we get going now." Miss Lariet beckoned the team to the gates. Cedar and the others agreed, heading after her, out into the warm welcoming morning and to their field trip beyond!

* * *

Their ride to the village was a little more low tech than Cedar was expecting. He'd assumed they would be flying to the village via an air bus. But here they were, bouncing roughly along in an off road vehicle with thick tyres and generous suspension. Due to Vault's surrounding terrain, roads were hard to build and the two that did exist lead to Vale and Vacuo. Tarutarus had no such road connections, so ground transport had to brave the crags and fissures of the brimstone land. And boy did it make for a bumpy ride.

"Isn't it too rough to be driving this thing?!" cried out Lariah from the back seat of the car, sitting on the left side with Yasmin on the right, sandwiching poor Cedar in the middle.

"Nonsense." said miss Lariet, hands on the wheel, commandeering the car. "Trust me, this thing is designed for this kind of travel." she casually said after the front end bounced up slightly to pass over a large gap in the ground.

"Y'all are too used to flyin' all fancy like." Isaac chuckled, sitting in the front passenger seat with his hands behind his head. "Lil' rough ridin'll do ya some good."

"Yes like breaking a few ribs." Yasmin replied glibly, a firm frown on her face.

"Could be worse, back in Vacuo y'all'd be getting blisters on yer backsides'n hittin' the ro-"

"Oh do shut up about Vacuo, Isaac." Yasmin snapped. "I'm sure that perspective is fine from where you're sitting but the rest of us aren't so lucky."

"Alright, m'sorry." Isaac backed down. Cedar could tell Yasmin was still stressed out because of her brother's taunting. He hoped she'd calm down a bit once they got to the village…

Speaking of, Cedar spied something up ahead. It looked like a large orange wall. Was it the village?

"We're almost there now." miss Lariet said whilst the terrain started to smooth out and the car stopped jittering and jumping. Once they were close enough, Cedar could see that the wall was quite huge, spanning left and right and far above the car. A gate split the wall in two, covered by a heavy set of metal doors, which were pulled open by some guards for them. At least, Cedar assumed they were guards, from their matching white armour and sidearms hanging off their belts.

Once through the gates, the village of Tarutarus spread out before them, their vehicle parking near to the wall. The entire village was surrounded by the grand orange brick wall, the inside bearing simple houses of stone and timber, looking considerably older than those in Vault if the design was anything to go by. Similar patches of ruby grass swayed in patchy clumps with dark volcanic soil surrounding it. Simple cobblestone paths split the ground and connected the houses in a web of toil and simplicity.

"Here we are. Everyone out." Miss Lariet said, unlocking the car doors as team Icicle piled out of the vehicle. They grabbed their bags and followed their teacher toward the largest building in town, a slight breeze curling around them and running down Cedar's neck. The village's atmosphere seemed homely as they passed by some farmers working a nearby field, planting turnips by the looks of things. The smell of volcanic soil and wildflowers filled his nose, reminding him of home but with a unique twist of active dirt and sweet smells of incense burning in lanterns around the city. Cedar found himself taking a liking Tarutarus already.

"Why are they burning incense?" Lariah asked, seeing one of the lanterns burning.

"It keeps the people here happy." Miss Lariet explained. "And that happiness keeps the Grimm away."

"Huh. Smart thinking." Yasmin smiled as they entered one of the larger buildings in the village, a tall structure with a sloped roof and a set of double doors left wide open. The inside had a rich red carpet and walls decorated with a red and orange banner. Beyond that, a man stood waiting, a dark skinned man with red hair in three distinct braids with a short beard, his clothing flowing and composed of soft oranges and reds, so much different than anything Cedar had seen produced in Vault. He'd not seen hand made traditional clothing like it before.

"Greetings." the man smiled, his warm brown eyes surveying the group. "My name is Fenix. Welcome to Tarutarus, students of Lustre Academy."

"Uh, hi." Cedar replied meekly with a little wave.

"We're here to work, sir." Yasmin said, keeping her composure around him..

"So i've been told. It will be nice to have some fresh faces around the village for a few days." Fenix nodded and smiled. "Whilst you are here, your primary job will be to patrol the village and act as guards. However, we would also like you to pitch in on a number of jobs as well." he explained, approaching a nearby tapestry hung upon the wall of a huntsman in orange clothing. "Everybody in this village pitches in. We all work together. It's been that way for years."

"We'll be glad ta' pitch in, sir." Isaac assured him, arms folded and smiling. "Back in Vacuo, we got a similar saying about folks workin' together." He ignored the slight glare from Yasmin.

"I'm glad to hear that." Fenix nodded. "Your teachers have paid for accommodation, so go over to the Feather Beds and get settled in. Once you're ready, Captain Egret will show you the guard posting."

"Thank you for your hospitality." Miss Lariet said. "Come now everyone, lets go."

"See you later, sir!" Lariah grinned and waved to Fenix before the four of them left town hall, back into the village and along the path. A short walk later, they came upon the hotel, the sign reading 'The Feather Beds' with a hand painted picture of a feather on the shingle hanging above the door.

"You think their beds have actual feathers in them?" Lariah asked.

"It's false advertising if they aren't." Yasmin muttered as they stepped into the hotel. Miss Lariet got their keys from the front desk and led them to their room down the hallway. The team would be sharing a four person room whilst Miss Lariet had her own private room.

"Make sure you don't lose these." The teacher handed over a pair of keys, giving one to Yasmin and one to Isaac. Cedar briefly wondered if she didn't trust him and Lariah with them. Then again, Cedar had lost his house keys once or twice… hard way to learn not to carry anything in your pockets when you were out training.

The hotel room was rather cozy. It was bigger than their room back at Lustre Academy but more floor space was taken up by the four big wooden beds, curtains hanging over the window with a crack of light splitting the floor in half. The stone walls radiated a certain warmth that made the room feel even more welcoming. Once they were inside, Lariah immediately flopped down on one of the beds.

"Aaahhh it really is a feather bed!" Lariah grinned from ear to ear, rolling around. "Oooh it's so comfortable!"

"Don't fall in love with tha bed yet Lariah. I'm bettin' them folks've got work fer us ta' do right away." Isaac said, letting his bag off his shoulder.

"Aww man." Lariah grumbled, sitting back up. "Not even five minutes?"

"You'll have all night to enjoy your bed, Lariah." Yasmin said, setting her bags down. "We're here to work, after all."

"Yeah." Cedar nodded. "It'll feel even better with an afternoon's work!"

"I guess so." Lariah sat up. "Wait, that guy said we had to go find a Captain, right?"

"Captain Egret, he said." Yasmin reminded her. "Once we're ready, we should go and look for him."

"What is it with this town and birds?" Lariah wondered, standing up and going to check out the bathroom via a small wooden door nearby.

"Maybe it's part of the culture." Yasmin mentioned as she unpacked some of her clothes, hanging them up in a small antique looking wardrobe. "Entire generations could have been raised in this village, perhaps naming their children after birds simply became a tradition for them."

"You think this place has been around that long?" Cedar asked, slipping a spare pair of shoes under his bed.

"It's entirely possible." Yasmin nodded. "Much like the tradition of all our names relating to colours. It's the same principle."

"I wanna ask about it now!" Lariah grinned. "We should go ask someone later."

"Well fer now, less go find that there Captain Egret fella." Isaac led the way out, prompting Lariah to follow. Before Yasmin stepped out, Cedar held onto her arm.

"Hey." he said. This was awkward, no better way to ask this. But he'd been concerned about Yasmin ever since they got out of the car that led them here. "You um… you doing okay?" Yasmin only sighed in response.

"I'll be a lot better when I have something else to focus on. Let's just go with that." She stepped out of the room. "Now come along before I lock you in."

"H-hey! No fair!" Cedar hurried on out after her.

* * *

"Ten hut!" A loud bark brought all of tea Icicle to attention. A dark skinned man with white hair, decked in armour a little bit cleaner and more intricate to the other guards, stood and adressed them. "Students of Lustre! My name is Captain Egret! You are to refer to me as 'sir' whilst you work here! Is that clear?!"

"Y-yes sir!" Lariah said, a little surprised at the tone of the tall Captain.

"Good!" he nodded firmly. Cedar noticed he was holding a particularly long weapon, it looked akin to some kind of big caliber rifle sporting an axe head and a pike on the far end. He dreaded to think what a shot from that would feel like. "Now then, you'll be working the afternoon shift! You'll be kept as a team to improve your coordination, posted on the southern wall! Follow me and I shall inform you of your details!" Captain Egret made a sharp turn on the spot and began marching down the path toward the back end of the village.

"You think this guy has an off switch?" Yasmin whispered as they followed him.

"No disrespectin' the feller now." Isaac reminded her. "He is a Captain."

"Yes Dad." Yasmin rolled her eyes. The Captain led them to the wall and up some stairs, revealing a protected walkway atop the wall akin to battlements. Some guards were already stationed there, looking their way as the Captain moved upstairs.

"Now!" The Captain turned to them once they were all standing on the battlements. "As guards, it is your job to patrol this wall and keep an eye out for any disturbances! Report anything you see to me before you act! Follow the orders of your fellow guards and remain vigilant! You shall be revealed at the end of the day." He barked at them.

"Um, sir?" Cedar spoke up. "What happens if we are attacked?"

"You act upon my orders and do not leave the wall unless I tell you!" He continued. "Now, get to patrolling! I will relieve you of your shift later!" The Captain curtly turned on his heels and strode off up the wall, his soldiers saluting him as he passed.

"...not much of an introduction, is it?" Yasmin frowned. "You'd think he'd at least give us some details about how to patrol."

"I'm sure we can pick it up as we go." Cedar smiled, holding his crossbow. "How hard can it be?"

"Pretty durn hard iffin ya take it lightly." Isaac said, the cowboy looked a little more serious than usual. "Ya gotta keep them peepers peeled, else yer endangerin' everythin' I assure ya." From his words, Cedar had to guess he was speaking from experience. As much as Yasmin seemed annoyed, they began to follow their orders and patrolled the wall, walking from one end to the other over the course of a few minutes. Cedar made sure to keep looking out over the wall at the craggy and rocky brimstone wastes that led beyond, a forest in the distance that signified where Vale began. But as the sun set in the sky above and the sky turned a bright shade of orange, he began to get a little bored.

"So um… you guys ever have to do much?" Cedar decided to pass the time by talking to one of the guardsmen.

"Nope, not really. This is a pretty quiet town." the guard admitted with a shrug. "Everyone's calm and we don't have much for bandits to take."

"...could bandits even have camps around here?" Cedar wondered.

"It'd be tough." the guard agreed. "Crazier things have happened. Personally I kinda like it peaceful."

"Yeah, definitely." Cedar nodded. These people weren't huntsmen after all, he thought. They were just villagers trying to protect their families and their livelihood. He wondered what kind of bravery it took for everyday folks to take up arms against the Grimm for duties like that.

"It is mighty nice." Isaac agreed, passing by with his shotgun in hand. "I wouldn't mind hangin' up my hat here, iffin I had to."

"It's a little too quiet for me." Yasmin mentioned. "I like at least something going on."

"You just like trouble, Yasmin." Lariah teased her.

"You want me to _make_ trouble, ocean girl?" Yasmin frowned. As the pair began to argue, something drew Cedar's eyes to a nearby crack in the ground between two outcroppings of rock. He saw something shift… was it a shadow in the light? No, shadows didn't move that quickly. That's what it emerged from its hold, a lizard head covered in a bone white mask, its eyes a burning yellow, black claws reaching and pulling it out of its subterranean lair, something within it stirring it into motion.

"Grimm!" Cedar shouted.


	21. V2C3: Salamanders and Smithing

**Volume 2**

Chapter 3: Salamanders and Smithing

"Sound the alarm, we've got Grimm at the south wall!" A guard barked to his comerades. Another pair of guards began ringing a bell to alert the villagers to the danger. Captain Egret raced up to team Icicle, weapon clutched tightly.

"We are on high alert!" He barked. "All of you, prepare ranged weaponry and man the battlements, wait for my command to fire!" Whilst their orders were clear, a feeling spread across the young hunters about his orders. And how it put pain to their usual style of combat.

Nevertheless, they obeyed and took to the battlements, Cedar had his crossbow ready to go with Yasmin holding her pistols beside him. Isaac's shotgun wasn't going to be very effective at this height and Lariah's flail was practically useless for range. That left the shooting up to Cedar and Yasmin. It was hardly efficient, Cedar thought, but there wasn't anything else they could do for now. The Grimm were rising.

The first Grimm Cedar had spotted was no longer alone, more alike it had crawled out of the earth to join it. Cedar recognised its four legged stature, its long tail and pointed head. It was a Salamander, a common Grimm type around the area of Vault, much like how Beowolves were common to Vale. On their own they weren't too bad but in a group they could be real trouble.

"Ready! Take aim!" Captain Egret ordered his men, standing on the battlements with a variety of weapons in hand. The majority of them wielded crossbows but others had rifles and machine guns, though they were battered and old. Together their defence seemed a little ragtag. Below, the Salamanders advanced on the walls, scrambling across the rocks and crags toward the walls. "FIRE!" The Captain barked, his men opening fire on the Grimm below, a flurry of arrows and bullets raining down.

A number of the Salamanders were destroyed with the gunfire but the white shells over their backs protected the others. Their front line was within close range of the wall and their heads turned up, mouths opening wide. From their jaws, flaming sparks burst out and soared at the guards. They quickly took cover from the fire, avoiding their fire for now.

"Whoa!" Cedar gasped, a fireball only just missing his fox ears when he ducked. He had an idea to help stem the tide. He loaded a water dust bolt into his crossbow and peeked over the wall, firing down into the crowd of Salamanders. The bolt struck one of them and burst into a tidal wave of water, washing back the group and knocking them into their fellows.

"Nice shot!" A nearby guard cheered as the rest rose from cover to open fire again. More Salamanders fell but even more were crawling up from the earth behind them, spitting fireballs tat them. Next to him, Cedar saw one of the guards take a fireball right to the chest and fall backwards, burning and crying out in pain. Across the wall, several other guards took hits and they fell back to safety in the village itself.

"Why're there so many of them?!" One of the guards shouted nearby.

"This isn't normal!" Another agreed. They were taking more hits every second. Cedar was aghast at the sight of the guards falling back, blasted with burning brimstone. Their efforts from the wall weren't going to keep these Grimm back. They had to get down there!

And when he heard a battle cry from Lariah, Cedar knew he wasn't alone thinking that. The copper haired girl dropped from the wall with her flail ready, advancing on the crowd of Salamanders.

"Eat this you stupid lizards!" Lariah spun her flail overhead and brought it down on one of the crowds, the explosion rocked the wall and destroyed the group in a cloud of dark vapours and fire dust. But now Lariah was alone, with an agitated group of Grimm bearing down on her.

"Stay on the wall! Don't go down there!" Captain Egret tried to order them but seeing their teammate in trouble, Isaac, Yasmin and Cedar couldn't bare to stand by and watch. All three vaulted the wall and dropped down beside her.

"Lariah, you pin em down, I'll blow 'em away." Isaac instructed. "Yasmin n' Cedar, cover our sides. Let's send these varmints packin'!"

"Right!" Cedar nodded and moved to the left, Yasmin going right whilst Isaac and Lariah held the centre, the team making their own wall to protect Tarutarus. The Salamanders came in an unruly horde, crawling across the ground toward the students, a wave of chaos ready to crash upon a wall of order.

Cedar and Yasmin opened fire to thin their numbers, Cedar's bolts taking down a couple with well placed headshots whilst Yasmin emptied her gun chambers, shooting as many as possible before reloading. The front line Grimm reared back and spat out a volley of fireballs at them. Cedar opted to dodge, dashing and ducking to avoid them, the blazing balls bursting on the bastion behind his back. Yasmin used her semblance to split into three and then opened her pistols into fans, using the canvas to block the fireballs. They were holding out for now but there were still many Grimm left to deal with.

This was where Lariah came in, letting the Grimm close in around her.

"Pressure…" Her aura began to glow. "DROP!" Her semblance kicked in, the low gravity field expanding around her. The enemies encroaching hit the field and found it far tougher to keep moving, digging their claws in to drag themselves closer to Lariah.

Isaac followed up Lariah's move, using his mighty shotgun to blow the beasts back, pellets shredding their shadowy selvesto scraps. He felt strained, Lariah's gravity field was making him heavier too, but he had enough resistance to fire all four barrels in quick succession. The last shot was an ice dust shell, creating a little blizzard of crystalline shards, cutting down even more of the Salamanders. Once they'd been cleared away, Lariah released her gravity field and Isaac sighed with relief.

"Phew… dang that thing is heavy." he wiped his brow.

"Don't rest yet, here comes another wave!" Lariah reminded him as more Grimm bore down on their position.

At their sides, Cedar was struggling to hold the Grimm back alone. When he stopped to reload his crossbow, a fireball struck him in the chest. He gasped as his aura dropped and almost didn't see an incoming claw swipe from a Salamander. He threw himself left to avoid it and took a bad tumble for his efforts. Once he was standing, he slipped his weapon onto his arm, the sword blade sliding out. It was time to put miss Lariet's training to the test.

The Salamander lunged at him and Cedar ducked under, sticking his blade up to slash the beast's underside before he jumped away. He'd expected it to turn to attack, but realised he'd failed to take it's tail into account as the sharp appendage whacked him in the back. He gasped in pain, leaping back to avoid another swipe of its claw. He sprang forward from his dodge and pierced his blade into the Salamander's left eye. It screeched in pain and unleashed a tongue of fire from its mouth, singing Cedar as he ran to avoid it.

With it now blinded on one side, Cedar kept to it's right to remain out of its view. It blindly swung it's tail and Cedar spied an opportunity. Remembering his parlour technique for springing off a railing, he jumped and landed briefly on the tail, then using it as a springboard to keep up and over the beast. With one last blow, Cedar drove his sword right into the Salamanders neck, going all the way through. The fire died in its throat and it thrashed around before fading into darkness once again. Cedar felt a little spark of pride, a flashy finish and clear improvement to his sword swinging skills… but he remembered, more Grimm were coming. He turned back to the looming threat, crossbow aimed at his enemy's head.

The crowd of Salamanders was thinning now but team Icicle had lost their ranged advantage and had to fight up close. The Grimm were edging around Lariah's flail and dodging whenever she swung at them. Isaac was using his mace but the Grimm were fighting back using their tails to block his swings and chipping at his aura. Yasmin was holding her own, her graceful slashes cutting at the Salamanders but she was being forced back by the enemy's sheer numbers.

"Retreat! Now!" the bark of Captain Egret alerted them to matters atop the wall. The guards had recovered and re-armed themselves, prepped to counter attack. Not one of the students argued this time, turning and running for the wall. The guards opened fire and blew apart the remaining Salamanders, only one surviving the shots. And before it could recover, a loud bang echoed across the village as it's head was taken clean off it's haunches. The barrel of Captain Egret's halberd rifle smoked slightly as he returned it to a neutral position.

"Team Icicle! Get back behind the wall, immediately!" He barked, the gates swinging open below him. Despite their victory, Cedar got the impression the Captain was angry at them. They traipsed back into the village, a little winded from the battle as evening had become night. But even now, Cedar felt a little happy. Tarutarus was safe.

* * *

"You four acted recklessly and irresponsibly!" the Captain scolded them whilst a doctor tended to the wounded. "You leapt into enemy lines without support and abandoned your posts!"

"Sir." Yasmin interrupted, looking even further annoyed than she was in the morning. "With all due respect, had we stayed on the wall, your men would have died. We saved your t-"

"That's a poor excuse!" the Captain dismissed her comment. "I do agree, your fighting skills saved my men tonight." his voice lightened up ever so slightly, much to Cedar's surprise. "But when you leapt into battle, my men could no longer cover you without fear of friendly fire! When you fight alongside fellows, you must remember to work with them, not against them!"

His words brought Cedar around. He was right, with them in the fray, the guards couldn't shoot for fear of hitting the four of them. He hasn't even thought of that… it wasn't often he'd had that kind of backup against Grimm after all.

"Yes sir." Lariah spoke up, her head bowed. She had led their charge after all and she looked guilty. "I just… couldn't stand seeing them get hurt."

"It's alright." The Captain patted her on the shoulder. "You meant well. Consider this a learning experience. Now, go and get some sleep, your shift is over." The Captain smiled ever do slightly, breaking his gruff exterior and showing that he still had a heart, deep down.

Team Icicle trudged back to the Feather Bed inn and had a simple supper in their dining room. Only when they reached their room did anyone finally speak up.

"Who does he think he is?" Yasmin sat on her bed, frowning indignantly. "Ordering around huntsmen like he understands who we are? He's just a simple village guard."

"Yasmin?" Lariah looked at her in surprise. "What's the matter?"

"That Captain Egret." she said with a slight sneer. "He has no idea how huntsmen operate. His stupid guards should have been down there with us rather than cowering on the walls."

"Hey, that's not fair." Cedar spoke up. "He was right, we shouldn't have jumped into the fray like that."

"If we hadn't, the town would've been swarmed." Yasmin insisted, gripping the sheets on her bed. "They should be thanking us, not scolding us."

"Ya need to calm down, Yasmin." Isaac said. "I'm sure the fella's had plenty of experience. He knows what he's talkin' about."

"He doesn't have a clue." Yasmin spat. "We're a bit more important than a bunch of feckless guards."

"Yasmin!" Lariah exclaimed. "That's so unfair and you know it!"

"It's true." Yasmin folded her arms and looked aside. "Forgive me for feeling unappreciated today."

"That doesn't make it okay to have that attitude." Lariah stood up to her, hands shaking slightly. "I get it, you've had a tough day today, but don't blame it on them." She looked away as a lump of guilt formed in her throat. "It was my fault, I jumped in ahead of anyone else."

"You're a huntress, you should-" Yasmin tried to argue.

"No!" Lariah suddenly snapped. "We're not hunters, we're hunters in training! We… we should be listening to the adults, not acting like we know everything!" The copper haired girl rubbed her eyes, Cedar shocked at this vulnerable side to her. As she sniffed and rubbed her eyes slightly, a uncomfortable silence settled over the room, punctuated only by Lariah's whimpers. Yasmin's scowl faded. She sighed and slipped her hand into Lariah's, prompting her to look up.

"You're right. I'm sorry, Lariah. You too Isaac, Cedar." she looked at each of them. "I was so wrapped up in how bad I was feeling, I didn't take any of your feelings into account." her face darkened slightly. "...I may hate my brother for what he told me this morning, but if I act like this? I am no better than him."

"That's not true." Cedar suddenly spoke out, having had enough of them all being upset. "You have the guts to admit it. He doesn't. And… that's important, you know?" his mind drifted to his sister as he spoke.

"I suppose you're right, Cedar." Yasmin sighed and her smile finally returned. "I'm glad I have such good teammates." Lariah suddenly hugged her tightly, still crying but now she was at least smiling.

"Yasmiiiiiin!" she wailed, squeezing her tight and sniffling into her shoulder. It was a messy end to the day as tensions broke and emotions bubbled to the surface. But when they finally settled down and slept, Cedar hoped they had proven they wouldn't so easily be split apart.

* * *

The morning in Tarutarus was bright and cheerful. Cedar looked out the window, the little village of Tarutarus was bathed in a warm morning glow as farmers got to work tilling the volcanic soil, women hung up clothes to dry and children ran on the streets. It was almost idyllic and it made Cedar wonder if he was dreaming.

By the time he was dressed and had his breakfast, he felt confident assuming it was no dream. Today there were assigned with more menial tasks to help out the townsfolk, as Miss Lariet told the over breakfast with orders from Fenix. Lariah and Isaac would be helping to work the fields, no doubt because of their strength, Cedar thought. Yasmin had been assigned to help make some new clothes with the village tailor. Cedar meanwhile was asked to go assist the town blacksmith for the day.

So the four went their separate ways and Cedar headed to the forge. The forge itself was mostly outside, connected to a trading post where the weapons made were sold and displayed. Cedar could practically feel the heat radiating off of it as he approached.

"Good, you're here." a voice alerted him to the presence of the smith himself, a tall stalwart man with tan skin and greying hair that could have once been white. His apron was thick with soot, numerous burn marks forever emblazoned upon it like the scars of battle. "My name is Gryphon." he introduced himself, his deep voice slithering out of his tightly knit jaws. "For a start, remove that scarf and your jacket. They'll only get in the way."

"Um, sure, okay." Cedar was somewhat taken aback but did as Gryphon said, folding up his jacket and placing the clothes on a nearby table, along with Rundasbane.

"You have some experience making weapons, yes?" Gryphon asked, tossing an apron at Cedar which he managed to catch, using his face.

"Some experience, yeah." he got the apron on and tied up the back. "Mostly welding, soldering, mechanism stuff…" his voice trailed off as he noticed Gryphon looked disappointed.

"So nothing of traditional smithing, smelting or metal work." he grumbled. "For now, just follow my instructions to the letter, alright?"

"Yes sir." Cedar was eager to get to work and prove his worth. In practice, that was much harder than he thought.

The forge was hot, despite being outside and Cedar found himself sweating profusely before even an hour had passed. The metal and tools Gryphon worked with were heavy and dirty, putting further strain on the little Faunus as he hefted large clumps of ore and carried hot shafts of metal to and fro, dunking the completed blades into a pot of water, an almighty hiss making his ears quiver each time. Thick acrid smoke filler his nostrils and he found himself coughing a few times. The day took its toll, tiring him out and making his arms ache, his back sore and his eyes water.

But he steeled himself. He fought with the limits of his endurance and his strength. If he couldn't even handle one day in a forge, how would he ever make it as a huntsman?

"Mr Gryphon?" Cedar spoke up as he put down a hefty blade onto the anvil.

"Just Gryphon is fine." The smith corrected him, bringing his hammer down upon the metal.

"Right, sorry. I wanted to ask, why did you look disappointed earlier?" The hammering stopped. The forge was quiet, save for the hissing of coals.

"Just a matter of teachings, young man." he said almost somberly. "Forgive an old man's thoughts that a hunter academy would teach the older ways of weapon crafting." Cedar was beginning to see what Gryphon was hinting at.

"Is it that important? Aren't the newer techniques just improvements on the old ones?" Whilst Cedar had indeed made Rundasbane himself, most of it has been with pre-made parts he'd bought and he'd had the advice of an instructor. Hearing himself say that, he wondered if he was showing his inexperience to the blacksmith.

"No, i'm afraid it isn't." Gryphon shook his head. "Modern methods focus far more on the electronic side of weapons than the materials and making it yourself." he moved over to the nearby work surface and plucked Cedar's Rundasbane off of it. He twisted the handle and the blade sprung out, the smith inspecting it closely and running his finger along it. "As I suspected. Recomposited metals. Stable but this won't last for very long. I'd wager it will be maybe a month before this metal cracks." Colour drained from Cedar's eyes as the blacksmith ran a finger along the edge. "And with this kind of metal, you'll be sharpening it far more often. As it is, it would be hard to puncture a Grimm again."

"I guess… I still don't know much about weapons yet." he lamented, folding his arms. It was hard to argue with a true professional after all. But then, Gryphon gave him a pat on the back.

"I'll make a deal with you, young man. If you listen to my advice and learn about smithing, I will help you forge a proper blade for this weapon." The very idea of having a professional teach him another way to hone his weapon making skills made Cedar's ears stand up in surprise.

"Really? Sure, i'll do my best Mr Gr- I mean, just Gryphon!" The Faunus managed to stop himself tripping up again which seemed to amuse the blacksmith, a wry chuckle escaping his lips.

"Alright. Then let's get back to work. I want you to watch me hammer this metal. Think about how your blade was made as the shape forms." Gryphon beckoned him as he began to slam the tool down on the hot metal once again. Cedar's eyes took in every detail of the process, every spark that merrily bounced off the steaming steel, every slam that made his ears quaver, every slight burst of heat that wafted into him. He took it all in.

After that, it was continuing to work but this time paying more attention to what Gryphon was doing. The way he checked the metal, the way he swung his hammer, the way he sharpened the blade on the grindstone in the corner. Most of what they were making were swords and arrowheads, no doubt for the crossbows the town guards used. It was considerably more basic than the weapons Cedar was used to seeing people swing around, but there was a certain beauty to them. Pure workmanship with no technical additions to it whatsoever. Simplicity, just like the rest of Tarutarus.

"Alright, I think it's a good time to break for lunch." Gryphon said, wiping his brow and slipping off his gloves. Cedar did the same, thankful to get out of the smoke even with how much he'd been observing and learning that morning. "You come back after lunch and i'll show you the specifics, alright?"

"Okay!" Cedar bounded off to find his teammates, he had plenty to talk about now!

* * *

"...and it's so cool just to see it so, raw like that, you know? It's so much different to weapon work back at the academy!"

"I'm happy for ya Cedar, but can we maybe talk about somethin' else now?" A beleaguered Isaac responded to the excited Faunus who had been talking nonstop about the blacksmith's forge. "We been talkin' about this since we dun' sat down."

"...oh." Cedar snapped out of talking to realise his three teammates were all sick of what he was saying but had been too nice to speak up about it. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Isaac chuckled, picking up a small sandwich on his plate. "We'd just like a turn talkin. Right Yasmin?" He prompted her whilst he took a bite out of his lunch.

"I would like to, yes." Yasmin nodded, idly swirling a glass of water like it contained a fine wine. "I must admit, I've always had a little dream of designing some clothes myself… aaand that is not what I am doing working with the village seamstress." she rolled her eyes. "But it's still good work, nonetheless."

"That's the right attitude." Lariah nodded, a sprig of cress hanging out of her mouth. "Farming was kinda boring but it's a great workout!"

"That it is. Takes me back to…" Isaac was about to say when he glanced at Yasmin. "Well, ya know what I mean." Cedar smiled at the cowboy taking Yasmin's feelings into account, whilst munching on another sandwich.

"I can't believe it's already lunchtime." He mused, looking up at the clear sky. It was only their second day in Tarutarus but Cedar already felt like he could call this place homely. Familiar. Perhaps even comfortable.

He could get used to this...


	22. V2C4: A Wicked Well

**Volume 2**

Chapter 4: A Wicked Well

The next few days in Tarutarus passed much like the ones before it. Team Icycle continued helping out in their respective jobs, be it farming, stitching or smithing. It was pleasant simple work that kept them busy and felt increasingly satisfying with every day. Cedar especially started getting much more into his work. Despite his lack of skill he was helping Gryphon out with various orders. On the second day, he helped him forge a set of simple cooking knives. On the fourth, a massive greatsword that Cedar could barely lift. On the fifth day, he was helping to prepare some axe heads when he decided to ask a question that had been burning in his mind a while now.

"Gryphon?"

"Yes?"

"How did you learn to smith? Did you learn on your own or did you have a teacher?" The old man's brow raised at the question. He then approached a drawer built into one of his workbenches and pulled it open. Inside was an old manuscript, its paper flaking and its pages crumpled and yet there was not a speck of dust upon it.

"This is the guide written by my old master. He studied under the guidance of Rufus Wayland." that name rung a bell as the words of Professor Saccharo came back to him.

"You mean Rufus Wayland of team Prime?" Cedar asked.

"The very same." Gryphon nodded. "He was a masterful blacksmith who took on seven apprentices. The man I trained under was one of those apprentices. Teachings passed through generations." He opened the manuscript and showed him one of the pages with detailed notes. Cedar couldn't help but marvel over the details of the text, the intricate scrawl in small paragraphs splayed out in random lines across the page. It was messy but so very meticulous in its design.

"The school said his designs are still adhered to in modern weapon design." Cedar said, carefully combing the pages with his eyes.

"They are. But his smithing ways are becoming ignored with newer techniques making the metalworking process easier." Gryphon said solemnly. "It reminds me of when I visited the weapon shops in Vale. I knew which weapons would break with too much strain from just a look." Cedar couldn't help but feel a little bad for him.

"Sorry about that."

"It's not your fault." Gryphon shrugged it off, wiping his brow with a rag. "But if you want to make me feel better, you could continue working."

"Uh, sure, right!" Cedar nodded, realising he'd distracted them long enough.

"Now, put that ore into the smelter. We've got a specific order to fill and this time, you're going to be handling most of it." Gryphon pointed to a pile in the corner.

"Right, yes sir!" Cedar eagerly got to work, hefting the ore into the smelter and stoking the charcoal underneath to keep it hot. Once it was ready, Gryphon hefted the length of sizzling metal onto the anvil and began hammering it, Cedar watching the metal slowly take shape amidst the sparks and the smoke. After what seemed like hours, the work was completed. The result was a little unusual, yet Cedar also found it familiar. A long wide blade with a curved sharp end. "Wait a minute… is this-?"

"It's a new blade for your weapon." Gryphon confirmed. "I studied the design. This new steel should fit your weapon and won't chip in two months like your current one."

"You can really tell that just from a look?" Cedar gasped.

"Experience, young man. It tells you many things." The smith patted him on the back. "Take some time to fit it your weapon, you've done good work for someone your age."

"Oh, thank you!" Cedar carefully picked up the blade. First he checked it against the mechanism of his weapon, replacing the older blade with the new one. Amazingly, it even felt lighter than his older weapon! Once he knew it fit, he took the hefty piece of metal to the grindstone and sharpened its edges to a razor point. Then he fitted the blade into the chassis and tried slotting it onto his arm. He took some practice swings, testing the weight and feel of the new blade. It was perfectly weighted and cut through the air with ease.

"I see even a new weapon can still benefit from old methods." Gryphon chuckled.

"It feels great! I can't wait to put this thing to use, it's perfect." Cedar was beaming brightly. "Thank you so much Gryphon!"

"It's alright." the blacksmith patted him on the back. "You've earned it. You've worked very hard these past few days. And i'm sure you'll continue to work hard whilst you're here." Cedar was about to respond that of course he would, but something caught his eye. A couple of the town guards were running around and he could see a number of people looking distressed. Gryphon seemed to pick up on it as well, his brow furrowing. On instinct, they both a distressed young lady.

"Is something wrong?" Gryphon spoke up.

"It's the well." She replied. "It's dry!"

* * *

Most of the town had gathered at the well, a group of guards were surrounding it whilst Captain Egret peered inside. Cedar and Gryphon joined the crowd, tension hanging in the air around them as a chilling breeze snaked around them. The captain shone a torch down the hole, checking the bottom.

"There's a hole in the side." The Captain said. "Seems something has burrowed through the bottom and the water's drained out."

"What could be digging down there?" An older man asked, scratching his beard.

"No idea." The Captain shook his head. "But I doubt it's anything good. I'm going to need to investigate it."

"Pardon me, sir." Isaac strode through the crowd, much to Cedar's surprise. Yasmin and Lariah were close behind him. "If yer goin' down there, mightn't we come along?"

"Are you sure about that?" The Captain looked doubtful. "It will be dangerous down there. I can't afford any loose cannons." There was a slight flinch from Isaac at that mention.

"Sir." Lariah stepped forward, determination etched onto her face and with Yasmin at her side. "We won't act against our betters again. I promise." There was a moment of silence as he thought deeply on the matter, closing his eyes for a moment. Then, he looked to them again.

"Very well. I'll trust you, but this time remember to follow orders!" He barked, bringing the team to attention "Soldier, fetch a ladder and four torches!" he commanded a subordinate who rushed off to fetch them.

The ladder was soon set up inside the well, just long enough to reach the bottom. Cedar didn't like the idea of going underground like this but he bottled that fear for the sake of his team. Captain Egret went first, climbing down the ladder and sinking into the hole. Isaac went next, followed by Lariah and Yasmin. Cedar was the last one down. He mustered up his courage and took hold of the ladder, descending into the dark damp hole, the cold stone walls almost vibrating with the chill in the air. The ground was wet where he landed, turning to where his comerades were.

"This way, Cedar." Yasmin beckoned him into the hole in the wall. He could see brief flashes of the torchlight behind her. He ducked his head to pass through, into the tunnel beyond. The ceiling was low, forcing most of the others to stoop as they walked. But Cedar was just short enough to walk comfortably. He smiled slightly, not often did his short stature have a use like this. The tunnel sloped down the further they went, Cedar feeling his fox ears twitch at the increasing pressure from their descent into the earth.

"There's an opening up ahead." Captain Egret called back to them, his voice echoing along the tunnel. The team followed him through the widened opening into a larger cavern stretching around them. The ceiling was still surprisingly low, only about 4 meters high. The packed rocky walls curled around them and even the smallest sound of a rock being kicked echoed around the cavern. Cedar found himself tugging his jacket around his shoulders tighter from the subterranean cold.

"Somethin' this big was under the town?" Isaac said, the cowboy looking around in bewilderment.

"Underground caverns are common in this area." Egret spoke up, shining his torch over the packed walls. "They can be very dangerous if they're not found."

"So guess it was just a little collapse, right? Nothing dangerous?" Lariah wondered, hands behind her head.

"I don't think so." Egret shook his head. "That tunnel we walked through was too long for this to be coincidence. Something dug that tunnel." The torch light swept across the walls, shining and showing more holes around them, higher in the walls and about the same size. "And if it keeps digging, it's going to cause a sinkhole."

"Did a Grimm do this?" Yasmin asked, looking increasingly perturbed by their surroundings.

"I think so. That would explain the attack the other day. A larger Grimm presence can draw others." He turned to the group. "It must have called them he-"

Before the Captain could finish his sentence, a black shape emerged from one of the holes and lunged at him, grabbing him with a sharp pair of white mandibles. His aura flashed as the creature slammed him right into a wall, the Captain crying out in pain. The beast that attacked him was long and segmented, it's back covered in white armour. It's face was set with beady yellow eyes and its body lined with boney scuttling legs.

"Grimm!" Lariah shouted, preparing her weapon along with the rest of her team.

"Quick! We gotta help the Cap'n!" Isaac fired his shotgun at the side of the long beast, making it squeal and release its quarry, scuttling into one of the holes in the wall and disappearing within. The Captain struggled to stand, using his weapon to prop himself up.

"Damnit… of all things, an Omukade!" He grunted.

"We've gotta kill it!" Lariah looked edgy, gripping her flail's chain. "I'll use my semblance to trap it and then we can attac-"

"No!" Captain Egret snapped. "If you use your semblance or your explosive weapon you could cause a cave in!" Cedar looked at the ceiling and then at Lariah. He wasn't even sure her semblance reached that high, but it seemed right not to risk it. They'd have to fight the Omukade more carefully.

The Grimm burst out of another hole and made straight for Yasmin, scuttling over the ground. Yasmin realised seconds too late as she tried to leap aside, the sharp mandibles of the beast grazing her leg. Cedar used his crossbow to fire two bolts at the Grimm but his bolts seemed to bounce right off its carapace. Feeling the bolts, the Omukade turned to attack him.

"Jump, Cedar!" Isaac shouted from behind him. Without thinking, Cedar did as he heard, leaping off the ground just as the Omukade reached him, leaping over its head and landing on its left side. He tried to seize the moment and switched his weapon's mode. He hadn't practiced with the new blade on it, but he had to use this moment! He lunged at the beast and he managed to gouge right into one of its legs, the blade slicing through it! He was amazed at just how sharp it was. Now in pain, the beast retreated into another hole in the wall. Isaac seized the moment to make a plan.

"Yasmin, y'go help the Captain. Lariah, get my back, we got a better chance ta' fend it off. Cedar, ya go get a back position, use some dust bolts ta' stop it hittin' us." Isaac said quickly. The team moved into action, Yasmin dashing to Egret's side to help him up, Lariah backing up against Isaac. Cedar dashed further down the cave and took aim, loading his crossbow up.

"Ugh, thank you." Egret grunted, slowly regaining his strength. "You have to attack its underside. Its carapace will protect it from blades and gunshots."

"Easier said than done, sir." Yasmin lamented, taking shakey steps across the rocky ground to move them somewhere safer. As the team waited and prepared for the return of the many legged monstrosity, Cedar's eyes widened and his face lit up with inspiration.

"Guys, i've got an idea! When it emerges, let me lure it! I'll use earth dust to flip it over!" His voice echoed around the underground cavern. His team looked uncertain of such a maneuver.

"Ye'd best keep that aura up, Cedar!" Isaac advised him and before anyone else could argue, the Omukade returned, this time going straight for Lariah. Initially she raised her flail, but remembering the plan, threw herself aside. A bolt bounced off the hide of the creature, drawing its attention over to the fox Faunus nearby. Now it scuttled toward him, mandibles clacking menacingly. Cedar loaded three earth bolts into his crossbow and waited for the right moment. He fired all three bolts quickly into the ground ahead of the beast. When it crawled over, the earth dust spiked up and pushed into its underbelly, successfully rolling it to its left and tipping it over.

"I-I did it!" Cedar exclaimed and breathing a brief sigh of relief his plan actually worked.

"Well don't just stand there, get on!" Yasmin shouted as the team leapt into action, Yasmin leaping into a windmilling slash, Lariah slamming her flail down, Isaac smacking it with his mace and Cedar leaping in and plunging his arm mounted sword deep into the monster's underside with ease. Team Icicle laid waste to the deadly insectoid Grimm. A great catharsis spread over them.

But it didn't last. Despite their efforts the Grimm did not die and found some new burst of energy, enough to roll itself over and throw the students off. Whilst they were in disarray, it tucked its head down and rolled itself up into a coil, rolling its entire body at Isaac like a coin rolling down a decline. The cowboy tried to prep himself but he was utterly flattened under the unusual attack, taking a bad hit to his aura as the centipede rolled to the side of the cavern before burrowing back into the wall.

"Isaac!" Yasmin rushed to the downed cowboy, his hat missing from his head. He groaned and sat up.

"I'm fine, i'm fine, but that varmint's gonna come back any secon' now." he warned them. "We gotta put it down."

"How?! We just pounded on it together and it got back up!" Lariah shouted, her face increasingly desperate.

"It's not invincible." Egret spoke up, now holding his halberd and standing ready. "If you can overturn it again, we'll aim to behead it. That should kill it."

Before they could plan, the centipede burst from the wall and attacked Yasmin. She tried to dodge to the side but the beast adjusted its position to smack its head into her on its side. Yasmin flew backwards, skidding on the cavern floor as Isaac tried to cover her with his shotgun.

"Watch out!" Lariah warned him, kicking her flail at the beast as it got closer to him, trying to draw it's attention again. The mace hit the carapace and made its body shiver but it continued to crawl and scramble, this time going up into the rocky ceiling, some debris falling from its writhing movements.

"Cedar! Do the bolt thing again!" Yasmin shouted at him. The Faunus nodded quickly and reloaded his crossbow. The team positioned themselves again, awaiting their enemy.

But the Omukade was learning from their fight, this time it came out of the ground underneath Cedar's very feet! Cedar felt the mandibles clamp on him and press down, his aura flaring with damage as the pressure. Fear gripped him, desperate fear to survive! He had to get free!

His semblance went off and he shrank down, slipping out of the mandibles of the Omukade and leaping off to the ground! The Grimm was confused and remained still for a few precious seconds, long enough for Captain Egret to fire his weapon and land a blow.

"I got it!" Lariah had an idea to assist with the situation and flung her flail around the body of the Omukade to wrangle it. It wriggled around and dragged Lariah left and right but she held on tight, using her strength to keep it in place. "Come on! Attack it, now!"

Cedar watched from below as his team attack. Yasmin tripled herself and leapt up high, her fanblades slicing into the Omukade's neck, gouging it deep. Captain Egret followed soon after, one mighty swing from his halberd slicing the beast even deeper. Isaac fired all four rounds from his shotgun, blowing him backwards from the recoil and the cut deepened further. Seeing them fight together gave Cedar back his courage, returning to his normal side. He rushed to deliver to coup de grace, swinging Rundasbane one more time into that gash.

He felt the blade pass through the dark guts and out the other side through the carapace. As he fell down, he saw the centipede's head topple backwards off of its body, before fading away into darkness. The cavern was quiet once again. The Omukade was no more.

"We… we did it! We really did it!" Lariah gasped, hands on her face as her jaw was left agape.

"Naturally." Yasmin tried to return to her confident facade, but her hand still shook with adrenaline.

"I can't believe it… but, we did it!" Cedar was ecstatic, looking at his weapon. He knew he'd have to thank Gryphon again for it later, it had been perfect for defeating the Grimm!

"Y'all did pretty dang good." Isaac approached his team, the smile welcomingly back on his face. "Wouldn't ya say, Cap'n?" he looked behind them, the snowy haired man stood tall. He nodded once.

"You did well, acting quickly against a large threat and maintaining the town's safety above. I am impressed with all of you." He then glanced around the area. "We will have to take time to fill in this cavern so it doesn't become a hazard and restore the well. In the meantime, let's get out of here."

With the Captain leading them, they made their way back through the tunnel they'd entered, back to the well, back to the welcome light above.

* * *

Work to restore the well and fill in the cavern began soon after team Icicle defeated the Omukade. Miss Lariet had been informed of what happened in the well and she had been very impressed with what she'd heard of their exploits. The town workers would have their work cut out for them to fill in that catacomb below the village, but many agreed that was better than risking further future Grimm attacks.

Their field trip would soon be at an end as the team spent their last few days hard at work, helping to fill in jobs the other workers had left absent with dealing with the cavern. After their recent battles with the Grimm, it was nice and comfortable to get into some of the simpler work. They were still gaining experience after all. Cedar practically gushed to Gryphon about the incredible work his sword her performed thanks to its upgrade. The blacksmith was practically glowing after all the praise the young Faunus heaped on. Gryphon also assured him he could keep the sword, free of charge.

When they regrouped after another long day, their spirits were high. The sun was setting outside as they sat down to dinner together, Miss Lariet sitting at the head of the table.

"Tomorrow we'll be going back to Vault. I hope you've all packed and are ready for tomorrow. I've already finished grading you for your work on this trip, so you can relax now." She spoke to them, the weight of their school duties leased from their shoulders.

"Phew! I was starting to feel like i'd be working forever." Lariah's shoulders sank slightly, munching on a crust of bread. "It's been kinda fun being here."

"If you enjoy farmwork." Yasmin replied snarkily. "I suppose it has been surprisingly gratifying. But I far enjoyed the parts where I was cutting down Grimm."

"Yeah. I feel like I learned something whilst I was here." Cedar agreed, putting down his fork. "I need to try and do some old fashioned blacksmithing back at the academy."

"Ya think we got the materials fer it?" Isaac asked, mouth full of food.

"If we don't, maybe i'll buy some."

"Hah, fancy that." The cowboy chuckled merrily.

"That'll take quite a bit of Lien. Hope you can manage it." Yasmin teased, nudging Cedar in the side.

"Aww cut it out." he laughed it off. In truth, whilst he was happy about their trip and what he'd learned, his thoughts were lingering on something else, something he'd been ignoring whilst they were out of the colony. He'd have to deal with Cinnamon again. Even now he knew how to smith weapons a little better, he still wondered if she'd even consider that to be good enough yet. How could he tell her?

Their chat was interrupted by the ringing of Miss Lariet's scroll. She slipped it out of her dress' pocket and pressed the screen.

"Rhoswen Lariet." she replied. She said nothing, but the look on her face was clear. Her brow furrowed, her lips opened ever so slightly and she looked aside from the group. "...yes, I understand. We'll hurry back." She hung up her scroll and sighed, standing up to face them.

"Everyone, we have to go. Vault is under attack."


	23. V2C5: Extra Innings

**Volume 2**

Chapter 5: Extra Innings

When the teams had been choosing their assignments, Martin had been very careful about what to pick. Over time, he'd learned the things his team wanted and expected from an assignment and that had affected his choice. Candi wanted to stay close to Vault, since apparently her family would soon be arriving for the festival. Oswald wanted something exciting, primarily as an excuse to punch things, moving or not. And Brock had wanted something not too dangerous, his somewhat timid nature making the choice considerably more difficult. But in the end, Martin had chosen something that would benefit all of their wants.

So for the next week, they would be junior police officers in the walls of Vault itself!

His choice came with mixed reception. Candi was overjoyed, Oswald believed he'd have to hold back on punching people and Brock seemed reluctant to be out in public in such a uniform. Martin realised there was no way to satisfy all three of them.

"Welcome, hunter students." They'd been met at the Vault police station by Sergeant Mazarine, a tall lady with sapphire hair tied in a ponytail. "As of now, i'll be treating you like I would any other recruit. Which means I won't be holding back just because you're young, do you understand?"

"Yes ma'am." They'd all responded after Martin.. And so over the course of the week, they'd participated in police training and similar activities. They'd taken on an assault course together in the station's yard, hopping between tires, using overhead bars, even climbing up mock buildings and learning how to traverse urban terrain. Oswald had taken to the course with amazing fervor, he'd completed the course long before any of them did. Martin ended up being the last one to complete it, which Candi had made sure to tease him about once it was over.

After that, they'd started with simple patrols in smart uniforms the trainees would wear, simple shirts and ties with badges and caps. Martin had felt a sense of pride walking around Vault in that attire beside his team. Candi didn't seem to enjoy it as much, there was nothing pink on it after all.

Patrolling was something his team found boring, but Martin relished it. Absorbing information, making observations, reporting it in. This was what he did best, beside his yo-yo tricks. They'd watched Mazarine in action, arresting some low level criminals such as a purse snatcher, a drug dealer, a would be assaulter. It was interesting to get this kind of perspective on Vault. Even in the colony he loved, there was plenty to be done even without huntsmen.

But the real crux of their internship with the police came on their final day of work.

It started with another patrol through the industrial district of Vault, past the huge factories and the towering smokestacks.

"Oi, why do we have ta keep patrollin' this bloomin' area? It's like we come here ev'ry day!" Oswald complained, lingering at the rear.

"Because the industrial district is one of the least public places in the colony." Sergeant Mazarine explained, casting a strong glare back at the boy. "It's the perfect place to commit all manner of heinous acts without us seeing it."

"And it's harder to use security cameras due to the larger area and more buildings, correct?" Martin spoke up, adjusting his glasses.

"That's right." Mazarine nodded. "It just helps to check around it more often."

"I don't mind! Once you get over the smell of smoke, the loneliness and so much walking it makes you knees buckle, it's fun!" Candi cheered, keeping a smile on her face. Martin thought she was being sarcastic.

"I don't know how y-you keep so happy, Candi…" Brock spoke up, staying next to her. Martin noted that Brock had been sticking close to her a lot recently. He wondered if the boy found her endless cheer comforting?

"It comes with eating three tons of sugar every day." She winked at him and Brock looked away with a slight blush on his face.

"Remember everybody, stay alert." Mazarine reminded them, turning a corner between two hulking factories. Before she could say any more, a large lorry sped ahead of them at remarkable speed. Mazarine looked perturbed by it.

"Speeding in an area like this… something's not right." She took out her radio and called it in. Moments later, someone was barking back through her radio at her. She looked to the students. "We've got a situation developing downtown. Let's hustle."

* * *

That was how they ended up here, in their first real police situation. The lorry they'd spotted had been carrying backup for a robbery. A group of criminals had robbed a weapons shop in town and had taken two people hostage whilst preparing their escape. The police had set up a perimeter around the shop and had their weapons drawn once Mazarine arrived with Team Torch in tow.

"Keep behind cover in case of stray shots." she said. "We're going to approach from the back to catch them by surprise."

"Good idea." Martin nodded, keeping his cool despite the tension. Of course they could step up and do this. They were hunter students after all, they may have to deal with situations like this in future.

"Are y-you sure?" Brock seemed less convinced. "This seems k-kinda advanced."

"It is pretty serious…" Candi spoke up, Martin noting her serious expression. "But we'll be serious too."

"Alright, come on now." Mazarine waved them on as the group began to move around the blockade. As they moved, a voice from a loudspeaker echoed around them.

"We have you surrounded! Come out with your hands up and this can end peacefully!" the officer ordered.

"Cram it, cops!" one of the criminals retorted, waving his Uzi around threateningly. "We ain't moving til you back off and let us go! Or you can say goodbye to the hostages!" the police stayed put, their stalemate continuing.

With them distracted, Mazarine led the students around to the back of the weapon shop. A backdoor granted them passage into a stockroom, its shelves now bare. As they hunkered down, the sergeant peeked through the doorway to the shop floor, assessing the situation.

"There's eight in total." she relayed to the team. "Two hostages. And unless I'm mistaken, their leader is Payton Pink." Martin paused at that… wasn't that the man who Cedar had run into not too long ago? He remembered the story of that night, of his explosive baseballs and shotgun bat. If he was here, they'd have to be even more cautious. Mazarine moved back beside them and looked at Martin. "Well then, you're the team leader aren't you? How should we approach this?" Martin was a little surprised he was being put on the spot in a situation this serious and important.

"Hmm…" he first moved to the doorway and peered through to see it for himself and decide based on that. He ducked back and turned to his team. "First thing's first is to get the hostages out safely." He adjusted his glasses. "We should disarm the two men next to them, then provide cover to get them out through this back door." Martin flexed his fingers slightly. "I can use my semblance to disarm them, then Oswald ca-"

"Ozzy." The copper haired lad reminded him. "I ain't an Oswald, too fancy pants."

"Right, excuse me, 'Ozzy' can jump in and follow up with a hit. Then Candi and Brock can provide covering fire from this doorway." He looked to the sergeant for approval.

"Hm, not bad rookie." Mazarine nodded. "I'll back you up."

"Are you sure, sergeant? This isn't really training anymore." Martin voiced his concern.

"Yes, I am very sure. You need to learn and I trust you." She smiled reassuringly. With that, Martin was ready to act! He crept toward the doorway, beckoning the others to follow him. On the shop floor, the thugs remained on high alert with their weapons pointed outward at the police outside. The only one of them who didn't seem to be taking the situation seriously was Payton, the baseball player leaning on the counter with his shotgun resting on his shoulder.

"I don't like this. Hostage taking… feels worse than just robbery." He muttered.

"Quit complaining, Pink." One of the others spat. "This only happened because of Drake tripping that alarm."

"Right, it was sooo obvious to see it under the counter." a man holding a pistol returned through gritted teeth.

"You could've checked." another argued.

"Well maybe if whoever scouted this place out had found it!"

"That's a shit excuse for not checking!"

"Shut it!" a loud smash silenced them as Payton smacked the countertop with his weapon, now in bat mode. "Quit acting like stupid kids. We're still surrounded by cops. Once we're not, then you can argue." he sighed again. "And I can think about how I ended up here in the first place."

That was when Martin made his move. During the argument, he'd activated his semblance and pointed his fingers toward the two guards. His aura strings connected to their weapons and then, when the time was right, he yanked them both to disarm them.

"What the he-" one of the men gasped when Candi and Brock opened fire from the doorway, Oswald leaping in between them to grab the two hostages.

"Hold on tight!" he yelled as the robbers took cover from their attackers. With more quick bounds, he sprang for the doorway.

CLONK!

Oswald's leap was stopped by a sudden sidewinder slug from Payton's bat. The two hostages flew from his grip and Martin had to use more strings to pull them into the doorway. But Oswald was still there, now on his back and dazed.

"Figures, more kids getting mixed up in this." Payton sighed, changing the mode of his weapon and looking to the doorway they hid behind. "Listen up in there! If you try that again, I'm going to shoot this kid. I'd rather not do that, so you know! Give up and come out!"

"Oi! Don't listen to 'im!" Oswald shouted from his position on the floor. "Shoot this bloody wazzock, I can take it!"

"What part of the gun to your face are you not understanding, kid?" Payton snapped. Behind the doorway, Martin was trying not to panic and think of a plan.

"Marty." Candi whispered to him. "Can you hold his trigger using your strings? I'll help Ozzy if you can."

"Are you sure Candi? You could get hurt if you're too reckless." Mazarine warned her. But Candi almost looked proud.

"I was risking my life years before I became a huntressworking at my family's circus." she said, clenching her fingers into a fist. "I know when it's worth the risk." There was a moment of silence following her declaration. No-one argued.

"Don't get hurt…" Brock piped up, putting a hand on Candi's shoulder.

"Wouldn't dream of it." she smiled once again.

Back on the shop floor, Payton was growing impatient.

"Freaking kids…" he groaned. "Alright, I'm gonna count to 3 and then I'm going to shoot!" He warned, finger on the trigger, trembling slightly. "One!" There was no response. "Two!" Payton's gaze narrowed. "I'm not kidding around here! TH-"

"GET OFF OF MY FRIEND!" Candi burst out of the doorway with her lance rocketing away, aiming right for the robber's chest. He instinctively pulled the trigger, but found it to be stuck! Whilst he'd been shouting, Martin had snagged it with a string and was holding it tight. The trigger wouldn't budge!

Candi's lance pierced Payton's chest and sent them both rocketing backwards through the shop window, glass shattering around them as they hit the ground outside in front of the police blockade.

"WE SAVED THE HOSTAGES!" Candi shouted to the police once she stopped rolling over the ground.

With that, the police engaged in a firefight with the remaining criminals. Bullets soared through the air, nicking cover and finding their marks in the bad guys' aura. Sergeant Mazarine emerged from the doorway with Brock and Martin and fired off her pistol, knocking one robber down. Martin flicked his yo-yo into one of their faces and Brock used the guns on his claws, keeping away and avoiding going in close. Between two sets of firearms, the criminals were struggling to fire back.

Out front, Payton had gotten up and lobbed a few baseballs at the police cars, rebounding them before they exploded behind cover, injuring a few officers and knocking their cars. Before he could throw another, Candi lunged for his side with her lance. Payton stepped back and retaliated with his bat, knocking the bright girl in her bright smile.

"Ooo I felt that one!" Candi rebounded quickly, leaping in and swinging her lance at his legs to try and trip him, but Payton leapt away. Candi made use of this, turning her lance into machine gun mode and firing away at the batter. Payton spun his bat to try and block but several bullets slipped past and his aura flashed a couple times. Then his bat seemed to glow as one of Candi's shots bounced off his bat and hit her in the shoulder! She was staggered long enough for the batter to recover.

"Alright kid, I need to run, so take one of these and go away!" He tossed a baseball up into the air, a high explosive one, and smacked it at her. Thinking fast, Candi used her lance to bat it aside and toward the gun shop, landing next to one of the crates. Payton's eyes widened, seeing where it landed.

"GET OUT OF THERE! IT'S GOING TO BLOW!" He yelled to his men and by extension, the sergeant too. She managed to grab Martin and Brock and drag them to the back door whilst the robbers tried to run.

The baseball exploded, triggering more explosions from the box of grenades and then causing even more from the ammunition rounds in other crates, the entire gun shop going up in blooming flowers of fire and smoke, shreds of cement, glass and wood scattering all around as Candi and Payton were blown backward from the blast, hitting the ground as smoke billowed out of the growing cracks in the shattered shop.

When the dust settled, the shop was in ruins, everything inside was destroyed and it was barely even standing, nearby buildings also damaged and broken. Out back, the Sergeant had just managed to pull the kids and hostages out in the time but the crooks were laying around the shop, the explosion having injured most of them. From behind the shop, Martin looked horrified at the sheer destruction caused by a stray attack.

But all of a sudden, it became so much worse.

The ground splintered and cracked as an awful rumbling sound shook the earth and made those around the shop tremble. A fissure zig zagged its way through the stone of the streets and began to widen around the shop, causing it to fold inwards as it began to sink. The fissures became wider as the shop was consumed by the earth, breaking and crumpling up into rubble, those around it watching in awe. Soon most of it was gone, sinking into the darkened depths within the chasm the explosion had broken open.

And then from the darkness, they emerged. Those yellow and red eyes that meant only one thing. Grimm.

"Grimm! Everybody back, quick!" One of the officers shouted, the others moving to firing position as Salamanders began to crawl out of the hole in the ground, clawing to the surface. The criminals around them tried to get up and move to cover but the Salamanders were already upon them, one of the men getting snapped up in its jaws.

"Damnit, no!" Payton backed up from the oncoming Grimm, fear wracking his system. "It wasn't supposed to go this way! Why is this happening?!" his negativity brought a Salamander running at him, ready to unleash it's flames. Just as Payton had accepted his fate, Candi drove her lance into the Salamander's side and rolled it over! Then she plunged it down into the Grimm's underbelly, piercing through and reducing it to nothing but darkness and smoke. Payton was stunned.

"Why?! Why did you…" he tried to say.

"Because no-one deserves that." Candi asserted, pulling her weapon back up. "Now do you wanna do nothing or are you gonna help?!"

* * *

"According to the report I received, a weapon shop exploded and it broke open an underground cavern full of Grimm." Miss Lariet said as she sped across the uneven rocky ground, bumping and barging the four students in her car.

"A cavern? Like the one we went into?!" Lariah asked, holding on tight.

"Worse." Miss Lariet said. "This one is exposed and Grimm are flooding out. Vault is on high alert and that will only bring more of them."

"Panic being like'a dinner bell for em." Isaac agreed glibly.

"So Vault is under attack from within whilst everyone is out on missions… that's not good at all." Yasmin pondered aloud.

"I hope we get there in time…" Cedar worried, clutching onto his weapon as they continued toward the colony, an air of unease swirling around the seats and under their noses. Vault was coming up now, it's white walls rising on the left side of the car.

"...heads up, I see trouble." Miss Lariet warned them as she suddenly changed course and drove straight for the wall. She'd spied something, a single Grimm seemed to be melting right into the wall. It was gone once they stopped. Miss Lariet got out and inspected the wall. A large crack had been broken into the wall itself. "So they've already exploited a weakness… that means the situation inside is only going to get worse."

"Consarnit, how'd they make a crack this darn big s'fast?" Isaac frowned.

"They must have exploited a weakness in the wall… maybe they were waiting for a chance like this." Yasmin said.

"Either way, we must get inside and help everyone out." Their teacher quickly moved to the crack and pushed her way through it. The students followed, seemingly without incident. Until Isaac tried to squeeze through and got stuck and it took Lariah's strength just to pull him through. They'd arrived at an outlying park area on the outskirts of Vault.

"Maybe you need to lay off the food, Isaac." Yasmin winced as the cowboy stumbled through.

"Now ain't the time ta' be criticisin' a man's diet." he asserted huffily, adjusting his hat to cover his slight humiliation. "I say we hurry on over and find the trouble spots." But trouble soon found them as Creeps emerged from between the buildings along with a few Salamanders.

"Everyone, on guard. Hold them off for a little while, I need to fetch something." Miss Lariet then proceeded to run off to the left, drawing her sabre and slicing at a Creep standing in her way. A couple of the others tried to go after her, but Lariah was quick on the draw and brought her flail overhead, using the explosion to crush or blow them up.

"Back here you creeps! Come get us!" She taunted, reeling her flail back in. Her attention grabbing tactic proved successful as the Grimm now turned back to the team. Team Icicle attacked together, Cedar unloading his crossbow upon them, Isaac firing shotgun rounds and Yasmin using her pistols. The Creeps were nimble and numerous but not as strong as the Salamanders, ranged shots were enough to put them down. And any who did get too close, Lariah's flail quickly dispatched them.

"Help!" A sudden cry caught Cedar's attention as nearby he spotted two people hiding inside a gazebo, a young man and a woman. There was a Creep going right for them. He had to get over there and fast!

"Lariah, quick!" Cedar rushed over to her. "Throw me over there!" He pointed frantically to the gazebo.

"Right!" She set her flail down and picked Cedar up, grabbing him and holding him over her shoulder, facing the gazebo. She took a running start and hurled him toward the Creep. Cedar flew through the air, bringing his sword out as he got closer and closer. Then he struck down into the Grimm, cutting into its back and using his momentum to slice through one of its legs! The Creep faded away as Cedar rolled to his feet.

"Are you two alright?" The Faunus was surprised at the sound of confidence in his own voice.

"We're fine, we just got trapped when everyone else ran." The young woman claimed, her hands shaking as she clutched onto her partner.

"Alright, well you should get out of here. I'll cover you." Cedar assured them, switching sword to crossbow.

"Thanks kid!" The young man nodded and quickly hurried off, Cedar watching their backs until they were out of sight. He looked back to his team and saw more Grimm were swarming them and he could see another group coming in through the crack in the wall. Things were starting to turn against them.

Then out of nowhere, a huge tree limb swatted a group of Creeps aside and into the nearby wall. The kids' attention was drawn to the culprit, a huge white and silver tree that seemed to be moving itself across the park, its roots pulling itself across the ground. Amidst its foliage, Cedar spotted Miss Lariet perched within, her aura glowing white. She seemed to be moving the tree by her semblance!

"Ohhhh that is so cool!" Lariah gasped at the sight, the tree lumbering over toward the wall, flicking Grimm left and right with boughs and branches. Once it was close enough, the tree went about pressing itself into the crack in the wall, spreading its roots into the ground and plugging up the hole. Once it was secure, Miss Lariet leapt out of the branches and gestured to Yasmin.

"Seal it with ice dust, hurry now." Yasmin did as she was asked, firing off multiple ice shots to form a seal around the wood and close the hole up tight. "Good, that should take the edge off a little bit."

"So, we should go find that open cavern, right?" Cedar said.

"Right. Come on everyone and stay alert. There could still be more." Miss Lariet drew her sabre again and led the team onward through the colony, they still had allies to help.

* * *

A perimeter had been formed around the hole that was once the weapon shop, police cars stacked trying to stop more Grimm escaping whilst the officers fired from cover. Team Torch was still working to fight back the stemming tides, now more organised with Martin directing them.

"Oswald, knock that Salamander back into the hole." He said quickly, his glasses glinting slightly in the sunlight. "Candi, get the ones who stray too far." He turned to their third teammate. "Brock, you need to start blocking the bigger ones." But the boy was hesitant.

"But… you know what c-could happen…"

"I don't care right now. What matters is what we have to do." Martin assured him.

"But!" Before Brock could argue any further, a shadow flitted out of the pit and hovered above it on the beat of hellish wings. White tall horns curved atop its head goatlike head, a tail swishing behind it as its thin clawed fingers curved outward. A third horn in the middle of its head emitted a plume of fire as its beady eyes surveyed the shocked little people below it. It raised its head to the sky and shrieked a hunting cry.

The Baphomet had finally awoken.


	24. V2C6: The Beast Below

**Volume 2**

Chapter 6: The Beast Below

"Bloody hell, when did Grimm get that bloomin' horrid looking?!" Ozzy's words matched everyone's thinking as the Baphomet flapped in the air before them, sizing them up one by one, devious and devilish in its intent. It was like no Grimm they'd ever seen before in its terrifying shape and it's hesitation to attack right away, like none of the beasts they'd ever seen before. And now they were to go up against it in the midst of a break in from the Grimm. Martin found himself shaking behind his glasses.

The Baphomet reached a clawed hand up to its third horn and seemed to take the fire from it, the elemental blaze burning into a ball in its hand before it did it again with its other hand. Then it flung both fireballs at Martin and Brock. Martin quickly threw himself aside but Brock was too slow. Both fireballs hit the ground and exploded in a larger blaze, burning Brock and damaging his aura.

"Candi, shoot it!" Martin barked as the tension got to him. Candi aimed her lance and fired its machine gun, the Baphomet flapping its wings and soar across the skies and avoid her gunfire.

"He's too quick!" Candi shouted as the Grimm arced across the sky, quickly changing course and dive bombing her, raking its claws across her chest and knocking her backward. The Baphomet then claimed another fireball from its horn to finish the job and burn her to cinders. Ozzy jumped in to rescue her, grabbing her and jumping away as the fireball landed and scorched the pavement.

"Little bugger's sharp, ain't he?" Ozzy said, setting Candi down as the Grimm flew overhead. "We gotta bring him down!" Martin adjusted his glasses, thinking a thousand thoughts at once for some way to counteract their demonic foe.

"Brock, fire from the ground. Candi, get up there and chase it, hound it!" He said quickly.

"O-okay!" Brock, having recovered, fired on the Baphomet from the ground, forcing it to keep flying. Candi fired up the rockets in her lance and flew upwards, aiming her lance at the Grimm. It dived to avoid her but Candi used her semblance, spinning like a compass needle to fling herself after it. She caught the Baphomet off guard and as it tried to flap aside, her lance scraped its back.

"Nice work, Candi!" Ozzy cheered from below, using the moment the beast was still to leap up and plant a punch into its stomach, knocking it upwards. But the Grimm struck back, using its tail to swat him whilst he was too close, knocking the young man back down.

The Baphomet landed on another building and cupped fire from its horn in both hands, this time throwing a single larger ball down to the ground.

"Everyone, get back!" Martin shouted, having a bad feeling about the attack. His team got back in time as the huge fireball hit the ground and exploded in a larger radius. If they hadn't moved, they would've been blistered by the burning ball. Then the Grimm leapt off the rooftop and went for Martin, slicing his chest with its claws. Martin spun up his yo-yo to try and block the attacks but the Baphomet leapt to his left and got around it, his aura flashing at the hits.

"OI!" Ozzy jumped in to try and punch it away but the Baphomet was ready, lowering its head as a huge plume of fire shot out of its horn, swallowing him in its burning embrace. Martin looked horrified as he couldn't see his teammate in the blaze. Candi rushed in to attack, boosting herself with her lance, only for the Grimm to leap up with its wings and then come down hard on her with one of its clawed feet, crushing her into the pavement. Even when Brock tried to attack with his guns, the Baphomet showed incredible dexterity by flinging Candi at him using its foot, knocking them both into a heap. Martin felt fear gripping him, this Grimm was strong and agile, how were they going to stop it?!

His mind ran his thoughts fast, thinking about the Grimm. It drew its powers from that horn, it was dextrous, its wings gave it increased agility and prevented most of them getting in close… what was the best way to fight it? He narrowed down the possibilities until he hit on a conclusion.

"Everyone! We have to take its wings off!" He shouted to his teammates, prepping his yo-yo with the razor wire. "Candi, Brock, force it down, then Oswald hit it over to me!" His team looked unsure of this, considering how the Grimm was knocking them around.

"Okay, leader!" Candi flashed him a smile and prepared to fight once again, with Ozzy and Brock prepping to do the same. The Grimm returned to the air and procured more fireballs, flinging them down at the group. Candi used her rocket lance to speed along and rescue Brock before the blazing balls blasted him. Then they split up and fired on it from below, forcing it to move quickly to avoid them.

"Oswald, now!" Martin barked. His teammate leapt up whilst the Grimm was distracted and went into a spinning kick, striking the beast by the head with a resounding thud! It fell to the ground and Martin moved underneath. With a slick flick, his yo-yo arced through the air and the razor wire cut into the wing, slicing into its black body and taking the wing clean off!

The Baphomet shrieked at the loss of its wing and clawed the stump now on its back, its movement hampered. Its eyes blazed as team Torch moved around it to cover it, prevent it from moving away. It got on all fours as its tail reared up slightly, looking between the students one by one. Like it was plotting its next move.

It lurched forward towards Candi, using a hand to draw fire from its horn before bringing it down on the ground at her, creating a small burning area around its claw. Candi leapt back just in time.

"Buzz off ya bloomin' drongo!" Ozzy lea leapt in, uppercutting the Baphomet in the face and knocking it slightly. When he tried to follow up with a forward punch, the Grimm grabbed his other fist and overpowered him, flinging him backwards into a nearby wall.

Martin winced and opened his yo-yo, setting an ice dust unit inside, hoping to counter the Baphomet's flames. On doing so, the Grimm lobbed a fireball at him, spinning up his yo-yo in response to create an icy barrier, blocking the flames. But it continued to fling them at him and he could feel his strength giving out.

"Brock! Get him now whilst he's distracted! Slash him!" He yelled to his timid teammate.

"B-but… my other side will-!"

"That doesn't matter right now! We can't beat this thing if you hold back!" Martin shouted, just as the Baphomet cupped a great flaming orb in both hands and lobbed it at him. His ice dust ran out and the resulting explosion knocked him down, his aura shattering. His eyes widened and he trembled as the Baphomet leapt up and came down at him with it's claws, ready to finish the boy off.

Three sharp blades pierced the monster's arm, pulling it off course with a squeal of pain. Brock grinned maliciously as he had the beast at bladepoint.

"Your fun's over freak. Now it's my turn." and on that he slashed the Baphomet's chest, leaving a gash. The Grimm staggered and tried to jump back to use it's flames but Brock wouldn't let it get far, pursuing it and slashing it again and again with his claw blades. The Grimm was being overwhelmed by Brock's berserk strength.

It used an arm to block one of Brock's attacks and reached for it's horn to grab more flames, but Brock collapsed Gulo's blades into one and sliced it's wrist, taking it's hand clean off, embers fading on its limp fingers. The Grimm screeched and reached with it's other hand, only for Brock to slash that one off too.

Enraged, the Grimm lunged forward with its jaws open to try and bite Brock. But the Faunus only grinned in response, a blade uppercutting into its jaw.

"Shut the hell up." he sneered and plunged his other blade into its neck. The Baphomet finally perished with a squeal of defeat, its demonic form fading into nothing and leaving only Brock behind. He threw his arms either side and let out a roar of triumph, his eyes wild and wide.

Martin picked himself up and moved to help Oswald and Candi. He looked to Brock and smiled unsteadily. They'd just about pulled through and whilst Brock had been the tipping point, together they'd defeated a very strong Grimm. That was something worth being proud of.

But pride would have to wait. The death of the Baphomet had spurred a fresh wave of Grimm out of the hole in the ground. And most of their team were still work out. They couldn't fight another wave!

"Bring it on! I'll slice you all to bits!" Brock challenged, his claws sliding out one again as a fresh wave of Salamanders advanced on him.

A sudden whirring sound caught their attention as from above, a hail of bullets pelted down from above, cutting swathes into the Grimm and making them pause and look to the new threat. Above them, a bullhead was flying not far off the ground, it's side door opened and a black haired girl standing in the doorway, a minigun in her hands. Martin recognised her! It was Pepper Seasalt of team Pumice.

"Girls!" Pepper bellowed. "We're on!" three more people emerged at her side. "Let's rock this town!" All four girls leapt from the bullhead and fell toward the ground, Pepper still peppering the Grimm with shots from her gun.

"Mint, cover the barrier! Saffy, help that team! Cinny, you and me will take the main group!" Pepper barked as the girls touched down surprisingly gently.

"Right you are, Pep." A familiar fox Faunus said at her side, carrying a pair of bladed chakrams. "Wanna do 'shoot the breeze'?"

"Hell yeah, you being the breeze, I'll bring the shoot!" Pepper revved her minigun up. Cinnamon leapt down into crowd and high kicked a Salamander up, flicking her chakram underneath it. A great wind stirred as the weapon acted like a fan, blowing the Grimm up into the air. Once it was airborne, Pepper blasted it to pieces with her minigun. Cinnamon repeated this attack with more Salamanders, turning them into floating targets for Pepper.

Meanwhile stragglers of the pack were splintering off and a few were headed for the weakened Ozzy and Candi. Candi prepared her lance to fire when a bright golden barrier formed around them, stopping the Grimm in their tracks!

"That's quite enough of that." A nearby Safflower said, her aura flowing and a smile on her face. She had a shield on her arm which she swung into a Salamander's neck and it fell clean off. Another leapt at her only for her to block with her shield. Safflower flicked it upwards before leaping and swinging the shield into its middle, causing a deep gash. "You two should get to cover. We'll handle this." She turned back to her fellow students.

"Dammit I wanna rumble these bloody things!" Ozzy still had pep despite his fatigue.

"You've done excellently." She assured him. "But we can handle things. Please get some rest a-" as she was speaking, the Grimm she'd cut suddenly lashed out at her from behind.

BANG!

A sniper's bullet pierced the Salamander's head. The shot came from a real haired girl crouched atop a roof.

"Focus, Safflower." She scolded her. "Get them moving."

"Yes, of course Mint… I became careless." She chided herself. "Come along now!" she ushered Ozzy and Candi to the rs. police barricade as team Pumice continued to thin the ranks of the remaining Grimm with brutal efficiency and stylish combo attacks.

When Team Icicle arrived on the scene, another wave of Grimm were pouring out of the hole in the ground. Cedar was prepared to fight but then overheard the voice of Cinnamon.

"Everybody back! I'm gonna clean them out!"

He watched in amazement as his sister floated in the air like a supernatural being and commanded the winds around her and formed a hurricane funnel over the hole in the ground. The great force began to suck out the Grimm like poison from a wound, the hapless dark beings twisting and spinning in the wind. "Mint, Dust!" Cinnamon shouted to her teammate, the green haired sniper tossing her two ice dust crystals which she loaded into her chakrams. Cinnamon flung her weapons into the tornado and they began to circle around the tornado, releasing ice and snow, turning it into a snow devil that sliced and bit at the Grimm within. They were torn apart by the cold winds and the sharp icicles spinning in the vortex, reducing every last one to nothing more than shadows and cold air. Then the tornado swirled and died, Cinnamon dropping back to the ground as her weapons spun back into her hands, her aura fading away.

Those still left around the scene were in awe of the huntress student's little show, her team hanging around to make sure the cavern was empty below them. No more Grimm came out. And by now, Vault was calming down as others dealt with the lingering Grimm. Vault was safe, once again.

* * *

The cleanup operation would take a while. Police remained on watch and hunters were keeping an eye on matters. The hole was being blocked up for the time being and a search team would go down at a later date. For the students, their job was over.

Cedar spied a nearby Payton Pink being dragged away into a police car to be taken away to the station. His jaw hung open slightly and his eyes were glassy and dull. He could only imagine what the man must have been feeling after seeing men he hired be eaten by Grimm. It was a sharp reminder of the danger they would be facing in the future…

"And then Ozzy just leaped in there and socked them!" Candi explained to Lariah, her spirits soaring despite the ordeal. "And Martin sliced through that demon thing's wing!"

"Oh but you should hear about when we sliced into that Omukade's belly!" Lariah chatted back, both girls tripping over themselves to talk about their exciting encounters. Isaac and Yasmin were talking to the police beside Miss Lariet, trying to gleam more about what happened to Vault.

This left Cedar on his own as his eyes drifted toward Cinnamon. She was taking a load off after that amazing final move… maybe now he could talk to her. He approached her carefully, his heart forcing its way into his throat.

And then, like she could sense him coming, she turned and ducked away into a nearby alley. He'd seen her eyes glance at him ever so briefly. She was still ignoring him. Cedar leaned into the wall and his eyes cast downwards, that familiar feeling of loneliness welling up in his core. That feeling of looking at her bedroom door and knowing she wasn't there. Or when she came home when he was out and left before he returned. That yearning… just for a chance to reconcile with her.

"Hey." He was alerted to Mint's presence, along with Pepper and Safflower by her side. "So you're Cedar. Resemblance is uncanny." Cedar looked between them and nodded. The girls could easily see his concern. And they seemed to know what it was over.

"She's talked about you more than once." Safflower said, keeping her chin held high. "She's spoken of what a kind hearted, sensitive boy you are."

"And how gutless you are." Mint added glibly, earning a glare from her two teammates.

"So, she told you about that too." Cedar's spirit sank yet further. "Figures…"

"Yeah she really regrets it." Pepper sighed. Cedar's ears suddenly perked up.

"What did you say?"

"I said she regrets it. She said so herself." Pepper continued. "Said she wishes she hadn't been so nasty when you were still looking up to her."

"Are you serious?" Cedar's jaw hung open.

"I'm not lying, I wouldn't about this." Pepper shook her head.

"But then, why won't she just come talk to me? Why is she avoiding me?" He said, becoming exasperated.

"She's prideful and stubborn." Mint said bluntly. "She's convinced herself that bridge is burned and she can't fix it."

"That's not true… I want to fix things with her." Cedar sighed.

"Then you'll have to find a way to get her to talk to you properly. Something she couldn't possibly ignore." Safflower spoke up, adjusting her hat slightly. "We will help you, if you ask us. We have insisted to her to speak with you but, she still refuses." The little Faunus smiled a little at the three offering to help him even if they hadn't met him before. Maybe what Cinnamon had told them had confused them, he wondered.

"Thank you, all of you." He nodded to each of them. "I'll find a way to break through to her. I'll show her we can still be family!" He felt his spirits rise at last, his trip out having bolstered his spirit and strengthened his resolve. He was strong enough for this! He could get through to her!

As team Pumice left to recuperate, the question lingering on Cedar's mind now was, how? How could he force his sister to confront him? She'd just run from him in most situations he could think of. He needed a way to get her to stay, a situation where running would be bad for her…

A flash of inspiration hit him and he rushed back to his team's side. He had an urgent matter to discuss with them and now they were back in Vault, now seemed like a good time for it. The rest of his team had bid team Torch farewell and were now chatting amongst themselves.

"Guys! We need to talk." Cedar barged into the conversation. He'd have time to apologise later.

"Somethin' bitin' ya Cedah?" Isaac asked.

"Sort of. I know we haven't really discussed it yet, but, I want us to enter the Vytal festival!" He tried to keep a strong tone as he spoke.

"I mean, i'm sure we were all considering it." Yasmin smirked, covering her mouth with a fan. "But why the sudden insistence?"

"Because…" Cedar took a deep breath before he spoke. "I want to use the festival to speak to my sister." A moment passed in silence and for a second, Cedar wondered if his team thought what he was saying was stupid.

"What makes you think you can use it?" Lariah asked.

"If I have to fight her in a tournament match, I can talk to her! She can't run away or she'd forfeit the match." Cedar explained. "If she cares about anything, it's her pride as a future huntress."

"Now pardner." Isaac tried to bring him back around to reality with his brow creased in concern. "As nice an idea that is, how d'ya know yer even gonna fight her? There's forty durn teams in that there festival now we're involved." But Cedar just smiled.

"Yeah, I know… but I don't think Cinnamon will lose. So, all we have to do is just keep winning until we fight her, right?" That simple but confident thought seemed to strike a chord amongst them. Isaac's concern turned into a smile, Yasmin's fan lowered and Lariah's lips curled.

"I guess with that logic, it sure works." Yasmin smirked. "You've got my backing for that."

"Heck yeah! We'll bust heads AND bust hearts!" Lariah added, pumping her fist.

"Heh, y'all have s'much energy… guess now I gotta throw my hat inta the ring." Isaac chuckled and patted Cedar's shoulder. The resolve of his teammates strengthened the Faunus' resolve.

"Alright… then once we're back at school, lets sign up." He looked to the horizon as the sun set over the colony. "We'll show them just how strong the students of Vault can be!"

* * *

"...and the shop exploded because of that?" Crossheart asked in disbelief, sitting in a comfy seat with his cheek pressed into a closed fist. Even from his location he'd heard the explosion but the explanation his subordinate was giving him was simply something he found hard to believe.

"I'm telling you! It just went kaboom! Some grenades went off or whatever." A somewhat excited Edgar explained, the young mercenary having watched Payton's theft in case he needed backup. Neither of them had planned for it to turn into a huge Grimm attack.

"That is unfortunate indeed… now I have a loose end I might have to snip." Crossheart sighed and stood up. "And our animal friends will have to make do with fewer weapons for our little party. But i'm sure they can tighten their belts a little for that."

"Why do we even need em?! I've got way more firepower than any of them!" Edgar insisted, waving his gun around as if it were a toy.

"That I don't deny. However, you're valuable. More so than some half human terrorists that are ten a Lien." he smiled as he poured himself a drink from the nearby counter, crimson liquid tumbling into the glass. "Pawns should be sacrificed in chess before your knight."

"Chess is the one where Aces are high right?" Edgar responded. There was a moment of silence punctuated by a short sigh from the red haired man.

"Yes, well, the point remains." He recovered his composure. "The Fang can serve as our distraction whilst we focus on the important targets. Yourself and miss-" before he could finish, the door opened and a woman entered the room. Tall and thin, her hair drawn back and her chin sharp, her face painted white and red with makeup. Crossheart smiled. "Ah Miss Spiegel, just the woman I was hoping to see."

"I heard tell of explosive complications." she said curtly, her dress glittering in the artificial light.

"Nothing that changes plans too much. I will still need your masterful touch tonight." he assured her, pouring a second glass of red for her.

"Good." she accepted the glass and took a sip. Her red lips curled into a smile. "All complications in Mistral have been cut. There will be no other claims to your family name."

"Ahhh… that is a load off of my mind." he raised his glass. "Here's to the sending off of Nero Crossheart. Rest in peace knowing your outdated methods are long gone." he stared into the liquid, lost in thought a moment. He snapped out of it when the butt of Edgar's gun hit the counter top. "Anyway, we can now focus on affairs in Mistral." he looked at his two close allies.

"Let's talk about the Vytal Festival."


	25. V2C7: Calling All Champions!

**Volume 2**

Chapter 7: Calling All Champions!

Everyone returned to Lustre academy that evening. Wherever they'd been and whatever they'd done, everyone was glad to be back within the walls of their school. News of the attack had spread quickly amongst the students and in the assembly hall there were rumours and questions hanging in the air. It wasn't until Birchwood took the podium that everyone finally went quiet and listened. The headmaster took a moment to congratulate them all on completing their assignments and that they would be graded later on. Then he addressed the elephant in the room, explaining that Vault suffered a Grimm attack. He didn't sugarcoat the matter, he explained in detail about the underground cavern, the criminals who caused it and the teams who had helped to contain it. Pumice was mentioned by name, of course, as was Torch. There was polite applause for both teams.

"Now, before I let you go, you should all know that those who can qualify for the Vytal Festival will receive a message on their scrolls today. Simply reply to it in order to be entered. Don't forget!" he tapped the stage twice with his cane before he retired from the room with the rest of the faculty in tow.

Once the teachers were gone, the hall erupted into chatter, but this time Cedar could gleam it was far more of their trips outside the walls, the battles they'd fought, the people they'd met, the places they'd seen. Everyone seemed pretty happy about their experiences, only minor gripes surfaced amidst the sea of conversation. The swelling atmosphere washed over him and he felt his heart warming up.

"Cedah." Isaac called his name as he walked over. The cowboy was showing him his scroll, the Vytal festival email on its screen. "Are ya sure ya wanna do this, lil' buddy?"

"I've never been more sure." He nodded firmly. If there was any chance he could reconnect with Cinnamon, it was waiting in the arena. All he had to do was keep fighting until he faced off against her. It'd be a steep climb to the top, but it was worth it for that one chance, that one golden chance. "Do it."

Isaac tapped the reply button on the scroll. The message was sent. They were locked in for the festival.

"So you're competing as well?" A familiar dark skinned blonde asked, Pazice and team Vesper approaching. "Us too! Here's hoping we don't have to take each other out, huh?" she grinned and adjusted her hat slightly. Cedar remembered the incredible skill Stizza had displayed in their fight. If he was part of the festival, would Cedar be able to beat him to get to Cinnamon if he had to? As of this whole thing wasn't a tall order as is.

"We sure are." Isaac nodded. "We're lookin' ta' go all the way to the top."

"And when you get there, you'll find us waiting for you." A nearby Silas piped up, the grey haired boy flanked by Terrance, squeezing his stress ball and keeping a neutral face instead of an angry one. "The only one who's winning this festival is us."

"You know you can't dump trash on people in the matches, right?" Yasmin said snidely. Silas winced.

"I suppose I deserved that one." He resigned himself. "That doesn't mean we're not going to give it our all. We'll prove we're a worthwhile team beyond our old tricks." Cedar looked over to Martin's team who seemed to be keeping to themselves and chatting. He decided to bring them into the discussion.

"Are you guys going to be competing too?" Cedar asked. Martin turned and shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. Brock said he isn't comfortable fighting on publicly." Cedar glanced to the badger Faunus who looked almost ashamed of himself, but Candi and Ozzy were smiling. "That and, I think we need to do some more sleuthing around town. Recent events have us pretty concerned."

Cedar could hardly blame them. The festival would be a busy time and with the recent criminal activity, he had a feeling things would get more dangerous around town. But with so many huntsmen in one place, surely that would help matters. He hoped so. After the trip and the breach, some peace would be very welcome.

* * *

The next few days slipped like sand through an hourglass. First came the Bullheads, flying like great silver birds across the skies. But they were nothing compared to the grand floating nest that was the Amity Coliseum, floating above the kingdom with nary a waver. It positioned itself between Lustre and the town for ease of access, hovering in the sky as a proud monument to fair competition and sportsmanship. Or at worst, friendly rivalries.

After that, the transports carrying the other students arrived. They came from all over Remnant, from Vacuo and Mistral, from Atlas and Vale. The streets thronged with strange and colourful people going about their business and exploring the colony. A fairground was set up near to the docking station in celebration of the event, shop prices were slashed and Vault became increasingly lively.

For Cedar, it was such a strange thing to see so many newcomers in the walls he'd grown up in. As he sat atop one of the pristine white rooftops of the town, looking at the crowds below, he reflected on how he'd never seen this many people from all over before. It was an odd but welcome feeling. Like inviting a stranger inside out of the rain.

"Ohhhh my gosh these are the best cookies i've had all week!" A girlish voice cried out in childish glee.

"It's only Tuesday you know." A stern voice replied.

"I'm keeping my hopes up." The girly voice replied. Cedar looked to the voices and spied a gaggle of four girls walking side by side, paper bags in their hands from the Drury bakery. One of them with red hair was practically giddy from the half eaten cookie in her hands, whilst the white haired girl beside her seemed irritated.

"You're such a kid, Ruby." A buxom blonde at her side chuckled. "Do I have a sister or a human shaped marshmallow?"

"Oooh if I was a marshmallow, I could eat myself." Ruby seemed to like that idea, prompting a laugh from the blonde girl.

"A marshmallow would make a more effective leader." The white haired girl turned up her nose.

"Weeeeeiss that's mean!" Ruby pouted.

"I'd like to find a bookshop." The last member of the group, a black haired girl with a big bow asked. "I'd like to see if there's anything here not in Beacon's library."

"Um… do we actually know if there is one?" Weiss looked confused. The girls were still in a new town, after all. Cedar decided he could help, so he slipped down off the rooftop and approached the girls, putting on his best smile and keeping his fox ears perked up.

"Um, hello! Are you four lost?" He mentally thanked himself for not sounding too awkward.

"How'd you know?" The blonde turned and smirked. "You used to recognising lost girls, foxy?"

"Uhhh no, I mean, that's not-" And there went all his confidence at one little tease.

"Yes, we are." The girl with the bow thankfully intervened. "Do you know where a bookshop is?"

"Ahuh I do. Sibylline Books, they're pretty close." Cedar called upon his local knowledge.

"Then lead on!" The blonde said with a smile. With that, he turned and lead them up the white hewn streets of the colony, thinking back to the time he'd played tour guide for his own team up this very street. An odd sense of nostalgic pride bloomed within him.

"So, you must be local, right?" The girl in the bow inquired as they walked.

"Yeah! I was born in Vault."

"That's cool, you must know lots about this place." Ruby chimed in, taking another bite out of her treat.

"I know a fair bit." He nodded.

"Soooo do you know if there's a weapon shop too? I'd love to see what kind of things people fight with around here!" Ruby's eyes widened. Cedar was taken aback by how the girl who loved sweets and seemed so childish was now asking about weapons.

"I can show you that afterwards, sure!" He played it off like it was normal.

"And do we pay now or later for this tour?" The blonde teased, nudging him in the ribs.

"N-no! No pay needed, just being friendly." He insisted with a nervous laugh. "I don't think my tour would be worth paying for either..."

"Not with that attitude." The rich girl agreed.

"Weiss, no being mean to the tour guide!" Ruby chided her, eliciting a sigh from Weiss Cedar had a feeling exchanges like this were common between these four girls. Just what had he gotten himself into?

Sibylline books was a place Cedar had been to once or twice but he wasn't a regular. The girl in the bow, who introduced herself as Blake, seemed perfectly attuned to the shop as soon as she entered, her yellow eyes scanning the bookshelves in seconds and honing in on interesting titles or author names she recognised. She'd an efficient librarian, Cedar thought.

"Perfect." She smiled and pulled a book out of the shelves. "A brand new copy of The Cursed Bride."

"How come that's not at Beacon?" The blonde asked, watching Blake with her hands on her hips.

"It was published in Vault so it hasn't spread far yet." Blake said. "You should read it Yang, you might like it."

"Nah I prefer magazines to books." She shrugged, tossing her golden hair slightly. "More pictures and cute boys."

"You would say that." Blake smirked.

After the bookshop, it was the weapon store. Before they'd even arrived, Ruby had zipped over to the window in a storm of dancing flower petals and pressed her face into the glass, gawping at the sight of the deadly toys on display.

"Ooohhhh you guys make so cool weapons! Is that a pickaxe shotgun?! I thought those were only sold in Vacuo! Oooh and a crossbow sword!" She raved whilst jumping from spot to spot.

"Must she be so unrestrained in public?" Weiss sighed, covering her face slightly.

"She's somewhere new, lighten up ice queen." Yang affirmed as they entered the shop proper. Ruby continued to dart around looking at everything on display.

"Is… she always like this?" Cedar felt a need to speak up.

"Yep." Yang nodded. "She's a real weapon geek. And if you come up against us in battle, you'll see where that knowledge goes." She winked knowingly.

"Oh so, you guys are going to be in the festival?" No wonder they travelled in a group of four, Cedar realised.

"Yep! Team RWBY's going to the top, baby!" Yang grinned, flexing her arms at the assertion.

"...wait, your team's name is RWBY, but your leader is named-"

"We know." Weiss spoke up. "And we agree, it's confusing."

"Either that or your headmaster has a bad sense of humour." Cedar thought aloud.

"Almost as bad as Yang's." Blake rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on, I make one or two bad puns and everyone holds it against me forever." The blonde pouted, arms folded.

After the weapon shop, Cedar took them to the fairgrounds. He hadn't had a chance to go there himself yet so he was happy to visit it with the girls. It was a fairly simple setup, some business owners from other kingdoms had set up shop with stands and stalls selling food, running carnival games for stuffed prizes, some of which included Grimm plushies. That was a phenomenon Cedar would never understand, making cuddly toys out of mankind's enemy.

RWBY seemed partial to a stall named 'A simple Wok' serving up bowls of noodles, and in Blake's case, noodles with a large trout slapped on top. Weiss seemed to be trying to pay for it but was having trouble. Before Cedar could even offer to pay, another group walked up to them and offered to pay. They seemed familiar with each other.

"Ooo who's the short boy?!" A ginger haired girl suddenly bounced over to him with her eyes wide. "Did you guys find a new friend?"

"Either that or a tag along." A boy with a purple streak in his hair added, Cedar suddenly feeling like he was under questioning.

"He's our tour guide, helped show us around!" Yang spoke up before shovelling another helping of noodles into her mouth. "Say hi and don't break him, not before we get to fight." Break him?!

"Okay, hi there!" He hadn't even gotten a word in when the ginger girl hugged him with one arm. "I'm Nora! That's Ren, he's basically a ninja." Then she pointed to the two sitting at the shop with RWBY, a redhead in bronze armour and a blonde guy in a white curias over what looked like a hoodie. "And that's Pyrrha and Jaune! Figure out which is which."

"Pyrrha's a girl's name-" Cedar tried to answer.

"I said guess!" Nora yelled.

"I'm sorry." The redhead, presumably Pyrrha, spoke up. "She's just, well, all of us are excited for the festival tomorrow."

"Not all of us." Jaune, presumably, glanced aside with his head in his hands.

"You'll do fine, Jaune." Pyrrha assured him with a slight pat on the shoulder. That seemed to make him a little happier. From all this, Cedar could tell they'd be competing in the festival too. Funny how he'd already met two teams he might have to go up against. And beat, if he wanted to get to Cinnamon… maybe getting attached and making friends wasn't a good idea considering that.

"It's okay to be nervous." Cedar said, looking at the blonde boy. "I'm nervous too. I've… got something important riding on this festival."

"You do?" Pyrrha looked at him in surprise.

"He's got school pride to prove, right?" Yang mentioned. "First time in the festival, gotta prove the Vault kids are worth their stuff, right?" Cedar shook his head.

"It's more personal. I've got someone I want to fight in the festival." He left it at that. No need to go too in detail.

"Then good luck to you." Pyrrha nodded. "Should we meet in battle, I look forward to a good match with you."

"Same to you guys." Cedar nodded. His scroll suddenly buzzed and he checked it, seeing a message from Yasmin. She wanted to see him. "Oh, sorry guys, I need to go see my teammate."

"Okay! Thanks for the tour, Cedar!" Ruby grinned at him.

"Yeah, see you around." Jaune waved half heartedly as the Faunus turned and left. As he walked away, something tugged inside his mind. A memory firing in his head like an ancient piston. Had he seen one of those students before?

As he left, Pyrrha turned back to her meal and hid a private smile. She hadn't been recognised.

* * *

"I see you've been busy, then." Yasmin smirked, having listened to Cedar's story about RWBY and JNPR, now traipsing around the fairground. "Fraternising with the enemy is a risky move Cedar. Are you trying to sabotage us?" She covered her mouth with her fan.

"No! No no no, I was only being friendly." Cedar shook his head.

"Are you sure? It seems interesting one of the girls you were 'being friendly' with was the invincible girl herself." On hearing those words, that old memory fired up and Cedar finally remembered her. The invincible girl, Pyrrha Nikos! His hands clapped the sides of his face in disbelief.

"Oooohhh seriously?! I can't believe that! Sh-she was just acting so normal! I totally didn't recognise her!" Cedar was losing his mind until Yasmin struck his head with her fan and snapped him back to reality. He could freak out over Pyrrha later.

"Hmhm you silly boy." Yasmin chided him. "Now, whilst you were meeting her without knowing it, i've been doing a little digging about our possible future opponents. I thought you might like to see a few of them."

"That's forward thinking alright, Yas…" He scratched the nape of his neck in discomfort as Yasmin led him into town, watching eagle eyed for the teams she'd looked into.

"You already met most of the highlights from Vale. JNPR with its invincible girl and RWBY with its whirlwind prodigy leader."

"Prodigy?" Cedar repeated.

"Miss Ruby Rose. She's only 15 but she was admitted to Beacon." Yasmin explained, Cedar feeling a piece fit into place in his head. Maybe that was why she acted kinda kiddy. To think she was a prodigy…

"So those are the ones from Vale, what about the other kingdoms?" Seeing as she'd gone to the trouble of looking into it, he figured he might as well hear what she had to say.

"I must admit, I came up a little short on Vacuo. But I did get something interesting." She directed him over to a group of four girls much like RWBY, a violet haired girl in particular drawing Cedar's eye. "That's team Indigo. Very popular at Shade so I hear. Though i've heard little of their actual combat abilities. Could be worth watching or just forgetting." It was hard to gauge how tough someone was from a look of course, but Cedar got a strange feeling coming from them. All he ended up thinking was, how pretty all of them looked. Especially the grey haired one.

"Now now." Yasmin snapped her fingers, bringing him around. "Don't go skirt chasing just yet, fox boy."

"I-I wasn't-"

"It's fine. It's only natural." She smirked and patted his head a little. "But there was one team I could find some good intel on. Worrying intel." She directed him now over to another group, this time a group of boys, tossing balls at stands of bottles stacked up. The one doing the throwing had a red lizard tail poking out the back of his jeans. He knocked them all over with one throw and practically roared with triumph, shaking Cedar's core at the noise.

"Um… those guys look intimidating." He winced.

"That is team Terra." Yasmin began, glancing to her scroll. "A second year team well on their way to success. The boy with the tail is their leader, Tyrone Rutile." Cedar watched the boy throw again and another roar burst out of his jaws.

"Ahahah! This is nothing!" He snatched a prize off of the server and turned to his friends, grinning from ear to ear. "Cmon, lets go get some more!"

"You got it, Ty!" A boy with an impressive fin of brown hair agreed.

"Shouldn't we be training for the festival?" A dark skinned boy beside him inquired, brushing a strand of seaweed green hair from his eyes. Tyrone turned and growled slightly at him.

"Back off, Edmund. We all know I carry this team anyway and nobody here can match us. If we have trouble in round one, then we'll talk, okay?" A feral ferocity in his voice made his teammate back down. As they left, Yasmin tutted.

"They call him the savage genius. How he seems to be able to fight wordlessly, blending combat understanding with vicious blows. Definitely one to keep an eye on." Cedar nodded and they moved on from there.

"So um… there must be a lot on the Atlas teams, right?" The Faunus had a sneaking suspicion that the most tech focused, military nation would be their biggest challenge to get to the finals.

"Not as such." Yasmin replied, taking the wind out of Cedar's sails. "I've found a little information on them but a lot of them are keeping themselves covered. I've heard tell of a boy who uses a trumpet in battle and a dangerous ginger haired girl with a thousand blades." As they walked, she pulled out her scroll and tapped it a few times. "The only team I have solid intel on is team Napalm."

"Napalm?" Cedar looked at her.

"They're only a hunter team in name. Word i've heard is they're being raised as a special operations team for military missions. They were practically born into the military lifestyle and they're utterly ruthless in combat. Very unsporting, by the looks of things." Yasmin flicked over some vague photos of four individuals Cedar couldn't make out very well, but they were also paired with explosions, Grimm missing limbs and even bandits down on their backs. He saw a long haired girl in some kind of bodysuit shooting some kind of pistol at a bandit. He shivered at the thought that these guys were still students and not in the field.

"I… don't know how I feel about that." He admitted, sheepishly following Yasmin.

"I do. It's barbaric." Yasmin shook her head. "Now as for Mistral… well, this one I can probably just show without telling you." Cedar wasn't sure what she meant as she beckoned him by a finger over to another area in the fairgrounds. Up ahead there was a huge crowd of people surrounding… something. Cedar couldn't quite see it from here as Yasmin helped pull him through the crowd. As they got closer to the source of the commotion, Cedar overheard someone speaking.

"...it flew at me on jet black wings and swooped down with its claws, but I grasped Balmung and sliced into its leg, cutting it deeply." A proud voice spoke, accompanied by a chorus of girlish gasps. "My father fired on it to bring it around again, and then? We leapt up high and brought our weapons down upon its neck, cutting all the way through and beheading it." Closer and closer they got, Cedar spying something amidst the crowd. Something, no, somebody adorned in gold. "And that is the story of how my father and I slew the deadly Fafnir dragon." As applause broke out, Cedar finally caught sight of the speaker.

It was a young man, older than Cedar and definitely much taller, adorned in golden armour covering rich looking red and silver clothing, his hair blonde and spiked backwards. His face was, what Cedar imagined girls would describe as, handsome, with a wide smile and perfect blue eyes. Resting beside him was a humongous sword, bigger than any Cedar had ever seen before, almost as tall as he was. There were girls surrounding him, all taken in by his story and his good looks, unable to look at anything else besides him.

"You're so brave, Mayer." One of them swooned.

"I couldn't imagine fighting a Grimm that big and dangerous." Another sighed lovingly.

"Oh it was tough alright." He chuckled and held up his left hand, displaying a golden ring with a red dragon's eye ruby encrusted in it. "That was the day I earned the Nibelung family ring, as proof of my strength and accomplishment." Now their eyes turned to the ring, entranced by its beauty. Even Cedar found himself peering at it a little.

"Your family gave you that?" One of them gasped.

"Yes. It's been passed down through the Nibelung line for years, a special heirloom for the finest huntsmen in Remnant. Why only last year, I-"

"Mayer." A voice cut off his next long winded tale. A girl with a shock of ginger hair and a wide white skirt approached him out of the crowd, her face stern but pretty.

"Hm? Oh Svanna, what is it?" The golden armoured boy looked to her with humour in his voice.

"We must go. Cho and Ulrich are waiting for us in the training centre." She spoke sharply.

"Ahh, very well." He sighed and looked to the girls at his sides. "I'm sorry girls, I must away to prepare for the festival. But i'm sure we can get together another time and, resume the stories." Getting to his feet, he grasped his sword and sheathed it behind his back.

"We love you, Mayer!" One of the girls chimed as the golden boy moved to the crowd. They happened to come right toward Cedar and Yasmin. Cedar locked eyes with him a moment.

"One side please, animal." He didn't wait for a response before pushing past him, Cedar feeling his amazing strength shunting him aside, rough enough he knew the intention but not easy to pick up on if you were just watching. Him and the ginger haired girl left the fairgrounds, headed into town. The sheer presence of Mayer left a strange hole in the atmosphere as the crowd dispersed and Cedar was left unsure what he'd seen was even real or some kind of elaborate staged event.

"So." Yasmin said, snapping him back to reality. "That is the leader of the third year team, Music. Mayer Nibelung. The Mistral favourite."


	26. April Fools: The New Student

**Volume 1**

Chapter 1: The New Student

 **Author's Note: Hi Guys! I'm sure you've all been wondering where i've been. I decided I finally found out the problem with my fanfic and my work in general. So i've decided to do a complete rewrite of the entire story and this time i'll get it right! And i'll be using author's notes because that's the sign of a professional writer.**

 **Ruby: Will there be kissing this time?!**

 **Author: Oh you betcha!**

 **Ruby: Great! I'm glad we can have these joke segments now before the story begins!**

 **Author: It's great, huh? Now let's begin!**

(Cedric's POV)

I walked into class and I looked around at the class. They were in the middle of a lecture from Professor Port and I could tell it was very boring. Then he saw me and said

"Class, we have a new student, his name is Cedric Galahad. He will be joining onto team RWBY and they will become team RWBYG." Port said.

"Sir doesn't that undermine the reasoning for having a four person team if we have a fifth person?" Weiss asked, raising her hand.

"Hush, Miss Schnee." Port snapped. "Cedric, go sit with your team."

I nodded and chuckled, walking over to them.

(Ruby's POV)

I looked at the new boy. He was tall and handsome with a fur collared brown vest showing off his manly chest, but he had scars too which made me think he must be pretty tough. He had tight black trousers and tough leather boots with toecaps, plus fingerless gloves and a pair of shades on, his brown hair spiked up at the front and short in the back. He also had sharp pointy horns and scales on parts of his skin. He had two gun holsters on his belt and a huge sword on his back that made me squirm in her seat. He sure was handsome looking!

"Hi there." He said charmingly as he sat down with his team. "Nice to be working with you all."

"Oooh he is S-E-X-Y!" Said Yang, leaning over and openly grabbing his chest. "Wanna come back to our room and make the springs bounce?"

"Yang please stop trying to jump everyone's bones." Blake sighed, shaking her head. Cedric looked her over and smiled.

"You're a cat Faunus, aren't you?" He said. Blake froze.

"H-how did you…?" She gasped.

"It's pretty obvious. Anyone could see through such a simple disguise." He shrugged, grinning cheekily. "I won't tell though." He promised, despite having just announced that to the entire class.

Then class was dismissed and I left the classroom with my team. Whilst we walked, Cardin Winchester decided to bump into Cedric because he could.

"Watch where you're going, you freak." He taunted him. Then Cedric grabbed him by the head and effortlessly through him into a nearby wall, smashing it open. He then did the same to the rest of his teammates, throwing them like darts. Everyone applauded the Faunus' treatment of his new schoolmates and because nobody in the school liked CRDL anyway.

"Ooo imagine the force behind his thrust attacks." Yang nudged me in the ribs with a grin.

"PANCAKES!" Agreed Nora, shouting the only word she knew.

"I guess he's alright, bet I could beat him though." Jaune Arc shrugged, shifting his redhead teammate who was pressing into his arm, nothing the blonde hero wasn't used to, feeling so warm like hot coals.

"He is kinda dreamy…" I sighed, watching Cedric from behind, watching his hips sway with every step he took. "I wonder if he likes cookies or weapons?"

"Hmph, their kind all look the same to me." Weiss said huffily and folding her arms. That was when Cedric picked her up by the scruff of her neck.

"Shut up you stupid bitch, I could twist your head off right now if I wanted to. You're just some one dimensional snowflake who won't ever improve and will probably spend her life at the feet of some rich snob." He snarled before dropping her on the floor. The haughty heiress shuddered.

Just then, Professor Ozpin appeared in front of them, drinking from his bottomless mug of coffee.

"Team RWBYG, I need you to go out on a mission. There's some Grimm in the Forever Fall forest that need clearing out. We're sending you five there to test your composition, and it's cheaper than sending actual huntsmen." Ozpin said.

"Okay!" I said. Team RWBYG would head out immediatley!

(A few hours later)

(Cedric's POV)

I watched as the rest of my new team, or soon to be girlfriends, ran ahead into the crowd of Beowolves. I saw Ruby slash through one of them with her scythe, then I saw that hot bitch Weiss use a glyph to flick one into the air, jumping and stabbing it. I saw Blake use her ribbon to swing over and slash through a couple and then Yang cracked a Grimm's jaw with one punch. Then an Ursa showed up and swatted Ruby and Weiss away, Yang trying to punch it's middle but it didn't do anything. Blake ran behind it and slashed but it quickly booted her away too. It was time to save these girls, I thought with a smile.

I drew my mighty sword, Nidhogg, and rushed at the Ursa faster than anyone could see. I swung once and my blade sliced entirely through it and killed it. More Ursas loomed out of the woods and he tossed his sword up high, drawing his twin uzi machine pistols, so named Huginn and Muninn, opening fire on the Grimm. They were all peppered with shots and as the last Ursa raced at him, he leapt and kicked Nidhogg as it fell, sending it spinning into the Ursa's head, killing it. I looked back to the girls and gave them a big smile.

"Wow! How did he do that?!" Weiss gasped at the display of power.

"And he uses a separate weapon and guns… that's so ingenious." Ruby added, her eyes wide with amazement.

"How did you do that?" Blake asked me, holding onto my arms.

"It's my semblance." I said. "It drains the strength from those around me and then adds it into my own power. It's nothing special." I lied, knowing it was what helped me be such a good hunter along with my skills.

"That explains everything." Weiss nodded. "Even my glyphs are worthless in comparison to that."

"Good thing i'm on your side, huh?" I laughed haughtily, resting Nidhogg on my shoulder. On anyone else, the blade would've been slicing into their skin, but I was too tough for something silly like that.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew through the woods and chilled us all to the bone. We all felt an evil presence nearby, something terrible and scary that made even my own hair stand on end. A woman in a sleek red dress with long black hair emerged, eyes aflame and a glassy pair of blades in hand.

"So, i've finally found you here. Those Grimm were good bait to draw you in, weren't they?" She sneered with a sly grin. "My old friend."

"Finally come back for seconds, huh Cinder?" I responded, hand on my hip.

"Wait, you know her?!" Ruby shrieked, recognising the fire wielding maiden.

"Yep. Back on the orphanage we grew up in. But ever since, she's been on the side of the Grimm." I said casually. "So how's throwing in your lot with them working out for you, huh ot stuff?"

"Better than you not joining me. You could have been a king at my side, but now you'll die just like a fool. Your power is nothing compared to me." She sneered, drawing an arrow in her bow.

"Stay back girls, this one's mine." I said. Cinder began firing arrows but I slashed them apart with Nidhogg, shattering them as they flew at me. She then tried to get in close and attack with both her swords, but I blocked and kicked her back, before drawing one of my guns and firing at her, peppering her aura with shots. She growled and pointed her hand, shooting a huge burst of fire at me. But with Nidhogg, I cleaved right through it and the flames scattered to the trees around us. Cinder gasped.

"But how?! That's not possible!"

"Simple." I said, holding my sword up. "Nidhogg is made of Yggdrasilium which is the strongest and rarest material on Remnant. It's resistant to all elements and dust, including fire."

"If it's resistant to fire, how did you smelt it into a weapon?!" Cinder shouted in exasperation.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I laughed confidently. "Just surrender now, Cinder. Your quest for power will lead you to ruin. I might even let you love me if you do." I winked.

"Hey, I called first dibs!" Yang shouted behind me, standing with the rest of my team.

"Hmph…" Blake folded her arms but she was blushing too, she probably wanted some. Weiss still looked somewhat impressed and Ruby was bouncing on both feet.

"Never mind all this… besides, none of you can stop my true goals." Cinder prepared to withdraw. "Just you wait, Cedric. Someday i'll show you what true power is, an-" Suddenly a line appeared down Cinder's middle and a light slicing sound echoed in the air. The next thing I knew, she was falling apart either side. She was dead.

"Foolish indeed." A dark voice spoke as I saw the man responsible and knew immediately who they were. By that katana they held, so silver and stained with blood. They wore a long dark coat with red on the hem, gloves on both hands and a scary looking mask covering their eyes. Their hair was white and standing up, horns upon their head like some kind of devil or Satan. "And so we meet again, brother."

"Brother?!" All of RWBY said together and I grunted.

"Yep, brother… my big brother…" I growled, holding Nidhogg tight. "Lance, what are you doing here?"

"I go by the name 'Shadow dragon' now, don't you know?" He taunted me, one hand on his hip. "It's been fated for a long time that the two Dragon Faunus would meet once more and duel to decide their fate."

"Dragon Faunus?! But they don't exist!" Blake shouted.

"Nope, it's true. There's rare Faunus who have mythical beast traits but they're rare and no-one knows where they came from. Not even me." I shook my head. "Start running, because this fight is going to destroy this whole forest!" I warned, feeling my draconic side take over in rage.

"You will die, brother." Lance retorted, holding his katana. "I will go home with your head!"

We charged at one another, ready to do battle for the true fate of Remnant. For I knew only I could defeat Lance.

If I failed, no-one else would stop him, not ever.

Our blades clashed and clanged, his blade Yatagarasu made of the same metal as Nidhogg so it wouldn't break when we fought. Our missed strikes cut down trees and my semblance drained his strength but he still kept fighting me back.

Just when I thought I'd gained an edge, something dark appeared from his back and struck out at me! It was a tentacle, a Grimm tentacle. I gasped as it narrowly missed me and I cut it off!

"Are you serious?! You merged yourself with the Grimm?!" I snapped. "That's monstrous!"

"It's necerssary." He argued. "You know my semblance, brother. Whatever I kill, I take the power of. So killing Grimm to become stronger and use their essences is only natural."

"Shut up!" I snapped, firing on him with my guns. He used the power of Cinder to create a burning shield, before he leapt at me with the claw of a Deathstalker on his arm. I blocked with Nidhogg but he tore it away and struck me, his blade cutting into my aura. I skidded back across the grass, the forest around us cut down and burning, ash and smoke choking us out as we stood opposite each other.

"Give up, brother. I win." He taunted, pointing his blade at me.

"Not… YET!" I tapped into my draconic side and my true weapon, Odin, formed in my hand, a great burning sword that none could match. "I'm just getting started!"

To be continued…..

 **Author: Wow, crazy huh?**

 **Ruby: Ahuh! Cedric is so tough! I bet no-one can beat him, not even his stupid bro.**

 **Yang: Dibs on riding him first.**

 **Author: Oh Yang, don't be silly! Welp I hope you all liked the new look for this fanfic and i'll be back to treat you all very soon! Until then, see you later!**

 **No criticism please, this is just for fun and not for being improved and critiqued.**


	27. V2C8: Let The Games Begin

**Volume 2**

Chapter 8: Let The Games Begin

Whilst the festivities had begun in the town below, there was still business to be conducted. Business between three powerful men. Matters in the colony and beyond required a formal discussion and today they would meet.

An Atlas Bullhead soared through the skies, headed right for the academy. The ship touched down just outside the grounds and settled onto the white hewn stone. Its doors opened and ramps unfolded, the roar of the engines lowering to a gentle hum, soon overpowered by the trampling sound of boots on metal as the white clad Atlesian soldiers departed their vessel. After them, the important passengers followed them off.

First, General Ironwood, dressed smart and formally, his stern expression analysing every inch of the academy grounds. Behind him, Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon academy, cane in hand and a gentle look of concern on his face. And finally, Winter Schnee, a subordinate to Ironwood, matching the General's stern expression. They walked together, their military escort flanking them every step as they made for the academy.

Birchwood awaited them with Professor Golem at his side to help mediate the meeting. Once their guests were close, Golem saluted.

"General Ironwood, sir. Welcome to Lustre Academy."

"At ease, Sergeant." Ironwood replied, drawing to a halt. "It is good to see you both too."

"Birchwood, how are you?" Ozpin spoke far less formally to the old goat.

"Tense, Ozpin. Tense. Come, we can all have an informal chat later." Birchwood briskly turned and led them into the building, through the corridors and into the elevator up to his office. "Coffee, Ozpin? I take it you're still addicted to caffeine." The old Faunus said offhandedly.

"Not today. I'll have some later." Ozpin shook his head and took a seat beside Ironwood, whilst Birchwood sat behind his desk, Winter standing vigilant behind Ironwood.

"First thing's first." Birchwood said, putting his walking stick down. "Why is Professor Lionheart not in attendance?"

"Urgent matters to attend to at Haven, so he told me." Ironwood spoke up, voice laden with doubt. "Sometimes I wonder why you appointed that man, Ozpin."

"He's a good friend, James." Ozpin assured him. "And more trustworthy than you give him credit for."

"Pfah." Birchwood glanced aside but decided to move on. "So then, I understand you've brought additional security to the festival, right James? Those tin soldiers of yours."

"You're correct." The General replied. "Due to recent security concerns and reports of a White Fang presence, extra security was needed. It's to protect the people during such a big event."

"You'll have to forgive my skepticism." Birchwood replied, shaking his head. "I don't see a protective circle, I see a net waiting to fall."

"Perhaps if security was tighter in Vault to begin with, this wouldn't be needed. But it is." Ironwood argued cooly. "We can't afford to be careless."

"I hate to interject." Ozpin said. "But I did ask James to bring extra security. And he is the official on security for the festival for a reason." Birchwood sighed.

"Yes yes, I understand. I simply worry that this is going to provoke those in hiding rather than dissuading them. If we even truly understand what we're dealing with, because even i'm not sure."

"About that." Ozpin spoke up again. "One of my own is looking into that matter right now. I had him come in advance to scope out the town. If anyone can find some dirt, it's him."

"The nesting Branwen, I see." Birchwood nodded, noticing a slight flinch from Winter at the mention of his name. "I'd of appreciated a notice beforehand, Ozpin. We're supposed to work together, that was the point of Vault being built in the first place." The silver haired man simply smiled.

"My apologies, I didn't want to burden you with one of my own." He said. There was an awkward moment of silence before Winter cleared her throat.

"Sir, the other matter?" She said.

"Oh, of course." Ironwood nodded. "It may be unrelated, but there was an attack on Autumn recently." Birchwood's eyes widened slightly at that name.

"And? Don't tell me they-"

"No, she's alright." Ironwood shook his head. "Her 'protector' intercepted her attackers. We're looking into the incident but right now, the report is bandits and nothing more."

"It may still be related. Though I doubt bandits will be ransacking this colony." Ozpin said.

"Not as long as I can still walk." Birchwood grumbled. "If that's everything, gentlemen? I suggest we adjourn this talk and get to work. There's much to do."

"Indeed." Ironwood agreed, standing up. "I must say Birchwood, I was somewhat dubious as to your appointing of headmaster here."

"I remember that well indeed." The old goat scratched under his goatee. "I'm sure if you had just one more seat on the council, I would have been rejected."

"Alas, we shall never know." Ironwood stood and adjusted his coat. "Come Winter, we're leaving." The two turned and left in the elevator, Ozpin lingering just a moment. He looked back and shared a private smile with the old goat before joining the General in the elevator. And then they were gone. Birchwood slumped in his chair and a sigh escaped his lips.

"I can't believe they brought in that drunken bird to spy for them." Redwood hissed, deactivating his semblance and slipping off of the top of a nearby cabinet.

"Ozpin trusts him. So I do as well. Despite their family reputation. You're hardly a clean man yourself."

"I did what I was asked to do, it's not as if i've wiped out entire towns on a whim." Redwood glanced aside. "I don't trust him either way. I'll be keeping my own eyes open, I can assure you of that."

"Yes, yes… now leave me a while. And thank you for sitting in on the meeting." Birchwood dismissed him and so the teacher also left in the elevator. Birchwood settled once more in his seat to take a moment to rest. With what could be coming, he'd need every ounce of strength in his body to soldier through it all. For his school, his faculty and his students.

* * *

"Ohh and what a knockout! Team CFVY are the victors!" Professor Port announced around the stadium, the crowd cheering at the spectacle of student on student combat. That included Cedar and his team, watching wide eyed and amazed at the tenacity the other schools showed.

"Whoo boy, the fightin's s'durn fierce." Isaac said, shovelling a handful of popcorn into his mouth. "Ain't nobody holdin' back."

"Should you really be eating when our match is coming up?" Yasmin rolled her eyes, one leg crossed over her lap.

"Dont'cha fill tha tank up before ya run the engine?" Isaac chuckled, patting his middle.

"He's right!" Lariah spoke up, sipping her drink. "We gotta be ready to kick butt out there and we can't do that on an empty stomach."

"All i'm thinking is how quickly you'll get a cramp." Yasmin sighed.

"Mum used to say she'd fill up on Dad's cooking before she'd go out on an assignment." Cedar added. "So it can't be too bad, right?"

"Your father must be the exceptional cook." Yasmin snickered, flicking her fan over her mouth. "Why have you not invited us over yet?"

"Uhh…" Cedar looked away from her.

"Alright fellers, c'mon." Isaac rose from his seat. "We'd best head ringside." The four teammates stood and headed for the waiting area with their match coming up. They prepared their weapons and their clothes, then sat and waited for their names to be called.

"So, do we have a game plan?" Lariah spoke up.

"S'hard ta form a plan when ya don't know where yer goin'." Isaac frowned slightly. "Best advice is to be wary and draw out their abilities s'we can can assess em. And stick together, don't let em split us up too far. Get in pairs at least iffin' we can't stick close." Cedar had a brief memory of their fight with Team Star. Splitting up could be very costly indeed.

"And now, welcome to the arena, Team Icicle of Lustre Academy!" That boisterous announcement was their cue. Walking in a line, the four entered the arena and made for the centre. The crowd erupted into applause on their arrival, creating a heady atmosphere that got Cedar's adrenaline pumping. This was it, this was the feeling of a spectacle fight, with a cheering crowd in a high tech arena with colourful opponents to fight! He couldn't help but wear the biggest, widest smile. "And now their opponents! Team Joker of Shade Academy!" Their opponents approached from the other side. Cedar focused, trying to gleam what he could from them.

"Hi there." Said one of their opponents, a trendy looking blonde girl. "Cheers, to a good first round fight!" She held up a golden chalice in a toast to them, its bowl notably large.

"Well same to ya." Isaac smiled. "We ain't gonna take it easy on ya."

"We'd be insulted if you did." A boy from the group replied, adjusting the waistcoat of his suit. "Lacking in battle is a fine way to harm a huntsman's pride."

"Someone's a fancy talker." Yasmin chuckled. "Seeing yourself as a huntsman already, little boy?" He seemed to take offence to that and gritted his teeth.

"It's alright, Ransley." A girl wearing a large coat like a cloak nudged him with her staff. "Just stay focused on the fight." She brushed a strand of dark green hair from her eyes.

"She's right." Their fourth member, a girl in a patchwork jacket, spoke up. "We must be focused. It could cost us the match otherwise." She rubbed two fingers together.

"Right." Cedar nodded. "Focus!" Around them, the reels deciding the arena terrain were decided, one half a swampy area and the other a ruined looking city, rising up behind each team. The arena was set… all that was left now was the countdown.

"3! 2! 1! Fight!"

The call was made. The fight began.

Isaac was the first to act, firing his shotgun in a spread to hit the enemy team. But the patchwork girl intercepted him, raising both arms that now seemed to be covered by stone shields, blocking every single pellet.

"Tarnation…" The cowboy gasped when he was suddenly hit in the stomach by a powerful blast of water, sending him skidding backwards. The trendy blonde grinned, the torrent bursting out of the chalice she was wielding. Cedar had never seen a weapon used like that!

The girl with the long staff pointed it at them and a blazing formation similar to a crossbow manifested upon it, firing a flaming arrow at Cedar. Yasmin rushed to his aid to block with her fans but the arrow's size and intense flame sent them both skidding backwards, pushing them away from the group in a burst of brimstone.

"Are you guys using magic?!" Lariah lashed out, swinging her flail to collide it with the group. The boy in the suit, Ransley, leapt over her chain and fell toward her, two hardlight short swords forming over the strange handles he held, driving both into Lariah's chest. The copper haired girl let out a sharp cry of pain but powered through it and swung her elbow into the boy's face.

"Opal!" The boy barked and the white haired girl came to his aid, shield barging Lariah backwards, followed up by another water torrent from their blonde leader. Cedar could see they were losing ground and needed a moment to think, so he loaded up his crossbow and fired toward their feet, using fire dust bolts to cause small explosive bursts. That provided some cover for him and the others to form up.

"They're using dust with their weapons, split them up." Yasmin said quickly.

"I've never seen dust used like that before…" Cedar mused.

"Focus." Isaac reminded him. "Lariah, Torpedo Burst."

"You got it!" She nodded, holding her flail ready as the smoke and fire cleared. As the enemy team re-appeared, Isaac fired a water dust round at the ground, creating a burst of water. Then Lariah swung her flail overhead, striking the close edge of the water, her flail detonating and sending the water shooting in a great surging wave. Cedar watched as Ransley and the girl with the staff were washed backwards, but Opal and the blonde leader stayed put using the shields.

"Cedar, Yasmin, go!" Isaac ordered, right as Opal sprang at him and rammed her shields into him and making him slide backwards, with Lariah soon following when the blonde girl hit her with another water torrent. Sharing a quick nod with Yasmin, Cedar hurried after the other two, entering the ruined city half of the arena.

"Up, up Clover!" Ransley shouted to his teammate, the green haired girl propping herself up with her staff. "Incoming foes, prepare yourself!"

"I'm focused." She assured him, spinning her staff and running at Cedar and Yasmin. As she approached, a flaming spire manifested on the rod to turn it into a lance. Cedar leapt one way and Yasmin another, cinders licking their heels. Yasmin tried to turn on her heel and counter attack, only for a cyan projection to catch her off guard!

"D-did he just throw a hologram?!" Cedar yelped, watching Ransley's now bare left handle regenerate another cyan sword.

"Surprised?" Ransley rushed at him, now wielding a curved sword along with his straight sword, arcing through the air and only just missing Cedar's ears. He swung at the other boy's middle only for him to block with his straight sword. This time his curved blade found Cedar's neck and his aura flashed at the hit. The Faunus tried to counter with a thrust but Ransley dodged aside, kicking him in the side and following up with a slash from both blades.

Cedar winced and backed up, reeling from the blow. This boy was decently trained in swordplay and with his two weapons, he was outpacing him! And even Yasmin was struggling. They needed a plan… maybe they could use the city area around them? His eyes darted around as he jumped back to avoid his swings, practically swiping with every step.

Yasmin remained close by, firing off her guns at Clover, who simply spun her staff to block them. Then she rushed forward, a flaming scythe blade forming on her staff, swinging wide at Yasmin. She backflipped to avoid it but Clover kept coming, clipping her legs with one swipe and flicking Yasmin into a nearby wall. The Mistrallian girl grunted and ducked an incoming attack with a flaming mace head on her staff, the blazing ball cracking the wall where her head had been only seconds ago.

"Yasmin!" Cedar tried to help her out, using his crossbow to fire at Clover's side and scoring a hit on her leg. "Get indoors, I got an idea!" Ducking under another of Ransley's swings, Cedar dived for the nearest window and crashed through, the glass shattering around him. Picking himself up, he dived into cover nearby, behind an upturned table. Then he waited, keeping himself as still and as quiet as could be.

A door opened nearby and Cedar's ears twitched as footsteps echoed around the room. He dared not peek out lest he give away his position. Each footstep was a signal to where he was, a step leading right into the trap. He felt tension brewing as his knees strained at crouching for so long. The roar of the crowd and the tension of the fight faded away into sheer concentration.

Then the footsteps stopped. That perfect moment of silence, like an apple atop his enemy's head, was ripe for the shooting.

Cedar sprang out cover and fired two bolts loaded into his weapon, one at Ransley's torso and one at his feet. As he had hoped, the boy blocked his first bolt with his swords, distracting him so the second bolt would make its mark. A snapping sound echoed as ice crystals formed on the floor, sticking to the young man's feet and freezing him on the spot!

"Gagh! Dratted dust!" Ransley spat as Cedar rushed him, slipping his crossbow back onto his arm and swinging at his back. The boy twisted as much as he could to stop him but his feet were too secure on the floor, his arms couldn't quite reach to block Cedar's strikes. His aura flared up, every swing taking him down lower and lower. Cedar was doing it! He was winning!

"Clover, help!" Ransley snapped, his two swords becoming a pair of cyan rapiers. He struck downward into the ice, trying to break it apart. He was rescued when a flaming arrow shot through another nearby window and struck the ice, shattering it. He and Cedar were back on even footing.

Outside, Yasmin still found herself struggling against Clover. Her speed with her fans was being nullified by Clover's long defensive staff, plus her flaming constructs were doing consistent damage. She tried changing positions but Clover proved to be surprisingly agile, despite her ragged and scruffy appearance and that cloak-like coat swinging off her back.

"I've never seen such a style from Vacuo." Yasmin commented as she spun in her dancing style, fan blades slicing toward her.

"Do you underestimate me for my looks?" Clover frowned, blocking with her staff holding it diagonally. "Typical Mistrallian ignorance." She then turned the lower end of her staff into a burning axe blade and swiped upwards, clefting Yasmin in the chest. With smoke plaguing her nostrils, Yasmin skidded back.

"Now don't misunderstand me." She grunted, flicking her fans open. "That was no jab at Vacuo. I'm impressed, if anything." She took a stance, raising one leg and holding one fan above her head, pointing the other at Clover. "It just means i've got to be just as impressive."

The Vacuoan girl looked unimpressed, forming a flaming scythe blade and lunging at her with a wide swing. Before, Yasmin had been leaping backwards and the girl had kept swinging, but this time she leapt straight up and dropped down onto her in a kick. Clover was dazed and Yasmin snatched a chance to do some real damage, activating her semblance and splitting into three.

In a flashing flurry of blades, her copies attacked Clover, overwhelming her swiftly. The staff wielder tried to block her stroked but the copies kept dancing around her, slipping past her defences. As her aura was whittled down, she leapt up and used her staff to jump out of Yasmin's trap, jumping to a nearby rooftop.

"I suppose you aren't all talk." She frowned. "But I've still got plenty of fight left."

"Good." Yasmin smiled. "Because I do too!" She leapt up toward her foe.

* * *

"BLAAAUGHRBLBLBLUB!" Lariah gurgled as another torrent of water hit her in the face. She skidded in the mud and stayed standing despite becoming soaked. She growled as the stream dried up. "I prefer being shot at, at least that doesn't leave me wet!"

"Really? Here I thought someone with a sea mine would love the water!" Her enemy laughed, spurting another torrent of water from her grail.

"I wear a helmet for that!" Lariah smacked her mace down to use the explosion to stop the incoming water. Then she reeled it back and kicked it toward Jill. The blonde dodged quickly and prepared to attack again, only for a gunshot from Isaac to knock her back into the muddy water.

"Don't let 'em rattle ya." Isaac reminded her "Y'all should focus on Opal, get her shie-" He was cut off when one of Opal's chakrams slammed into his stomach and shook him.

"You should focus too. Talk is cheap." Opal taunted, catching her weapon. Jill slid up beside her on the grassy tussock in the swamp.

"Opal, double team!" Jill grinned, both girls putting their hands together and their auras flaring up. From the swampwater, a raging torrent of mud and water began to rise, curling and bending into shape. A head formed on it's far end, jaws open, eyes raging and blue.

"Team attack, Mudflow dragon!" Jill and Opal said together as their creation surged toward their enemies.

"Oh come on!" Lariah whined, crossing her arms as the water and earth struck her, flinging her backwards, the combined elemental force hitting like a hammer. She flung her flail down, anchoring it into the mud to stop herself flying out of the arena. With a tug on her chain, she grounded herself. "Isaac!" She checked for her teammate, finding the cowboy drenched and still standing. "How do we beat this?!"

"Smash it when I tell ya!" He shouted, his aura flaring up, his hands moving in an incredibly fast blur as he reloaded his weapon. Once he was done, he advanced on their opponents. Lariah ran after him.

"Washout, cowboy!" Jill laughed, both girls commanding their creation to attack him again. As it struck, Isaac shifted himself to the left, taking the hit but reducing it to a glancing blow. The water attacked again, another shift in his body stopped him being pushed back. Now he was closer, his shotgun reared up and fired. It was an ice round that froze the water dragon in place! For a second, he seemed safe, until the mud in the water continued to move and sprang toward him.

"Now!" Isaac shouted and Lariah swept her flail into the frozen drake, shattering it into pieces. The girls flinched as sharp mud and ice rained down upon them. With them distracted, Lariah took advantage and brought her flail down on Jill, clobbering the blonde girl and then blasting her skywards. Isaac fired three rounds at Opal. Two were wind dust rounds, shattering the earth on her shields, the last one was a lightning round, zapping her where she stood. "Now, pin em down Lariah." The cowboy smiled, looking to his teammate.

"Right!" Lariah ran between them both. "Pressure… drop!" With her aura flaring blue, gravity grew heavier and weighed both girls down where they stood. Opal tried to stop her but could barely raise her arms to fling her weapons. Jill however managed to use a blast of water to push herself out of the area and toward Isaac, her grail turning into a round headed mace on the way. Isaac transformed his weapon and met her in a clash whilst Lariah used her chain to strike Opal, the enhanced gravity giving her more than enough time to whittle down her aura.

Jill and Isaac clashed, pushing against one another in the mud. Their long weapons beat one another back, each strike resonating against the arena and ringing out over the sound of the cheering crowd. But it was clear who was the stronger of the two. As with one mighty shoulder barge, Isaac threw Jill off balance and swept her up in a golf swing strike, knocking her backwards into the air. With the ringing of the klaxon, Isaac and Lariah shared a smile.

* * *

"And just look at that! Two members of Joker are out at almost the exact same time!" The announcement of Professor Port boomed over the arena. Clover and Ransley shared a look of concern over their predicament.

"Hey, Isaac and Lariah did it!" Cedar's hopes brightened despite his lagging aura.

"Yes. Now lets finish them off." Yasmin flicked her fans into pistols and fired on both of them. Clover spun her staff whilst Ransley generated two large flat swords to block the shots.

"Keep your spirit strong." Clover pointed her weapon and fired a flaming crossbow bolt, forcing them both to dodge it. Ransley closed the gap on Yasmin and swung his swords, Yasmin only just blocking in time with her fans. Cedar was about to leap to her aid, when the a flaming mace construct came swinging down before him, missing by an inch. Twisting on the spot, Cedar lunged and his blade pierced into her stomach. Clover winced and skidded back a bit. He thought he'd scored a good hit, only for her to use a flaming scythe to strike him from a distance, knocking him off guard again.

Cedar checked his aura on the board. He was lingering at 23%. Clover wasn't doing much better but at such low numbers, all it would take was one more strike. She had range on him and her weapon's incredible constructs would make it hard to land a solid hit again. But one clean shot could end this fight… how could he do it?

There was one chance, one secret weapon he had that he might just be able to use. It was still unreliable, but it was that or nothing!

"Cedar!" Yasmin warned him as Ransley suddenly came at him, swinging for his head. This was it! It was time to act!

His aura flashed green as he ducked under Ransley's swing and rushed at Clover. She tried to intercept him, turning her staff into a flaming lance and lunging at him. Cedar concentrated with all his might, focusing on his aura and with a green flash, he shrank and avoided the lance, feeling the intense heat from the weapon! Clover couldn't even tell what happened, to her, Cedar had just disappeared. And that moment of hesitation was all he needed. He leapt up from the ground and struck her in the chest, his diminished size not limiting his strength. Clover found herself flying back in shock, her aura depleting below 15% and eliminating her.

At the same time, Ransley's wild swing left him open to Yasmin, tripling herself with the last of her aura and striking him like a whirlwind. One more klaxon sounded. It was all over.

"And with a spectacular semblance combination, team Icicle is the victor!" The crowds erupted into cheers as Cedar returned to his normal height. His foxy ears perked up high, the deafening cheers were incredible to experience in the arena like this. All that bubbling excitement, this cacophony of adrenaline and appreciation. He was getting a little heady on it all. Or maybe that was the adrenaline rush wearing off. But it mattered not, either way. They had won. Now he was one step closer to the finals. And to her.


	28. V2C9: The Stars Aligning

**Volume 2**

Chapter 9: The Stars Aligning

"And when you combined your attacks to destroy our dragon? That was so cool!"

"Hey now, y'all brought the pain'n then some. I almost thought i'd lose against yer mace."

"Oh please, I never had a chance."

Cedar was earnestly quite surprised. After losing to them, he'd figured team Joker would be a little upset and probably not be up to casual chatter. But as they left the arena together, they were actually very talkative and nice! Jill especially was as bubbly and peppy as before. It was a really nice surprise and he almost felt like he was becoming friends with them!

"Your swordsmanship was lacking." Ransley said flatly, arms folded. Cedar winced a little at his bluntness. "It's a good thing you're resourceful. In a clean fight, I would have beaten you."

"Ransley, don't be like that." Opal lightly tapped his head. "We don't all come from high class sword masters."

"Indeed. Some of us far less than that." Clover added.

"No no, it's fine, he's right." Cedar assured them, putting a hand up. "I've been training to improve, but I guess i've still got a long way to go."

"...you did well enough to come through in the end, I suppose." Ransley glanced aside, as if uncomfortable with the compliment.

"There we go, he said something nice!" Jill gave her teammate a hug from behind. "You're finally growing up, Ransley."

"Thanks mom." He muttered.

As they continued to walk, they passed by the medi bay. All teams were required to have a quick check up after their matches to make sure they were okay. Upon entering, he spied the familiar buxom physique of Nurse Gelb sitting by the beds. The members of Joker were noticeably taken aback by her looks, Ransley in particular started going red.

"Alright, you're all just fine. Just a little aura damage and you'll fix that up very soon." She said after checking over Cedar and his team.

"See you guys later!" Jill waved as they departed, a warm feeling bubbling in Cedar's chest and a smile playing on his lips. Maybe it was just the heat of the battle but he felt really really good.

As they walked, they passed by the security room of the arena. Out of interest, Cedar peeped inside between the automatic doors. He spied various people sat at desks, checking computer screens over, currently displaying aura levels of the two teams fighting in the ring. They all looked like Atlas personnel in white coats with smart short haircuts, like looking into a military boot camp.

"Hey!" One of the men inside glared at him. "Get outta here, kid! Restricted area!"

"Sorry!" Cedar reeled in his curiosity and popped out again. It was a little reassuring to know they had such a comprehensive system over these things to protect them.

They continued on and from the arena, they heard a brief cheer. They overhead the commentators mention team Dahlia having defeated team Purple, though that meant nothing to them. Now seemed a good time to sit back down though. But as they were making their way back, they spied Silas walking with his team up ahead. His grey haired head was hanging and Terrance was crushing the stress ball in his hand.

"Silas?" Cedar approached and Silas snapped to attention.

"Huh?! Oh, it's you guys." A sigh escaped his lips. "Good match out there."

"Nevermind that, what's the matter?" Yasmin too was curious.

"...we're next up in the ring." Silas looked dour. "And I know the team we're going up against."

"Then that means you'll have an advantage!" Lariah tried to spin the matter.

"...no, we won't." Silas looked right into Cedar's eyes. "You remember what I said to you? About combat school?" A memory flashed in his head of that conversation. That Silas had been bullied for his weak semblance by those with stronger ones. Did that mean… his opponents were his old bullies?

"Silas, I-"

"Don't, okay?" Silas shook his head. "I know what you're going to say, that we put you through what we're now going to go through… it's probably karmic to you, isn't it?"

"It's not." Yasmin shook her head. "We're classmates. We'll support you, even if you've been a proper King Taijitu in the past."

"You can count on that!" Lariah nodded. "Water under the bridge!"

"...you guys are idiots." Silas sighed again, but a wry smile now replaced his grimace. "Now I have expectations on top of facing my fears."

"Then y'all had better match em." Isaac chuckled.

"Right." Remus nodded, as chill as ever. "We'll see you in the next round." And with that, team Star moved on to enter the arena, April looking back at them with concern as they left. Cedar hurried back to his seat to watch.

"And now onto the last match of the first round! Please welcome, Team Star of Lustre Academy!"

* * *

Like a convict approaching the gallows, Silas led his team of damned souls into the arena. His fan axe felt weighty, like a burden he didn't want to bear. The cheering crowd almost seemed to mock him with their mirth and excitement, waiting to watch the lions appear and devour the four gladiators. The dread in his soul was gnawing at him, growling in his ears, making his chest quiver. He didn't want to do this. He wanted to run away and hide somewhere from them. But he still had a team to lead. He couldn't run with them involved.

"And now, from Atlas Academy, it's Team Napalm!" And then they appeared. And as he'd feared, Silas recognised every single one of them. They'd gotten a little taller and had changed their outfits, but they were still those people who'd made his early school life a living hell.

Their leader, Nelson Lagune, the large boy in the white suit, marching with all the pride of a naval officer, his chin as square and his face as smug as it had been back then. Silas remembered one of his ancestors was some big time military commander and Nelson never stopped reminding people of it. He'd upgraded since last time, his old hooks now replaced by a huge anchor and chain resting on his shoulder.

Then there was their devoted flunky, Panzer Greenhorne. He of the dark skin, sharp short green hair and the old Vale military beret. Though Silas noticed he was missing his left arm. Usually he had a sleek cybernetic replacement and now he was carrying some kind of round headed hammer, kind of like a big green lollipop. His face was as stern and stoic as it had been before.

Laban Blackhawk still wore those big stupid shades of his and had that smug smile, that black and brown jacket that reminded him of Remus in a way he utterly hated. He remembered him using a four spoked throwing blade back in school, now he had two heavy armlets with two sets of those blades attached like huge propellor blades.

And then… there was the one he feared the most. Her.

"Well well, look who it is. The grey rat crawled out of the gutter." Her snide, mocking tone hadn't changed much. "I hoped i'd never see you again."

"Hello Mata." Silas replied flatly, hiding his emotions as much as possible. Mata brushed a strand of deep purple hair from those piercing red eyes and her smirk grew wider.

"What's the matter? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Ecstatic."

"Aww come on… not so long ago you liked me enough to ask me out." Mata leaned in with a sneer and Silas felt a spike push into his heart, light reflecting off the tactical bodysuit she wore. "It was so cute. Almost a shame to turn you down, but I don't date weak, soft hearted boys."

"Right, you only date bullheads like Nelson." Silas spat.

"Jealous?" Nelson snickered, drumming his fingers on his weapon shaft.

"Oh poor Silas, can't bear to see me with anyone else." Mata giggled maliciously. "But it's only fitting, for someone with such a weak, pathetic semblance to drop out in the first round. I don't even remember what it is, it was so worthless. Panzer, do you remember?" She glanced back at her teammate.

"No sir!" Panzer barked, standing to attention. "No recollection of a useless semblance!"

"S-stop picking on Silas!" April spoke up, the raincoat clad girl shivering a little bit.

"I'll do whatever I want, hair dye." Mata retorted. "I knew this grey haired rat long before you and I know how worthless he is."

"Stop talking." Terrance growled, his fingers tightening upon his hammer. "Remember that bruise I gave you?"

"I do." Laban spoke up. "I'm paying ya back for that today. Disgrace that it was." The venom between both teams grew thicker and more vile before the announcement broke up their discussion.

3! 2! 1! Fight!

Silas acted on instinct, pulling the trigger on his weapon the moment the fight began. He hadn't even planned with his team nor had he taken note of the thick forest behind him or the desert behind team Napalm. All he wanted right now, was to shut Mata up.

And she took advantage of that. She whipped out a baton from her belt and flicked the end of his fan axe up, making his shot miss. Then she followed up with a sharp elbow to his neck, making him gasp and stagger back. She would've gone further, had Terrance not swung his hammer down at her.

Panzer raced in and swung his mace into Terrance's hammer, the shorter boy surprisingly matching Terrance in strength. Remus tried to cover them with fire from his weapon, only for his fire to be blocked by the spinning blades of Laban. And to top it off, the hefty anchor of Nelson came swinging in over his comerades at them. April quickly moved to try and block it, her umbrella stopping the anchor striking any of them, but greatly overpowering and staggering her.

"APRIL!" Silas' defensive instincts kicked in and he tried to fire again, but Mata manipulated his blade, this time with a kick into the ground. Then she stabbed her baton into his chest, it sparked with electricity and knocked Silas back and away from his team. The grey haired boy tumbled and rolled, wincing as his body briefly went numb. He hit a tree and quickly got up.

He watched his team ahead of him struggling against their enemies, being slowly split apart as they picked their opponents and were beating them on their own strengths. He'd let his anger get the best of him and Mata had used it to score an early lead. His team were suffering for his mistake.

Never again!

"April, duck!" Silas shouted as he rushed back into the fray. The rainbow haired girl ducked as Nelson rushed for an overhead strike. Silas used the reach of his weapon to swing over her head, his axe slicing into Nelson and throwing off his attack. "Now, rifle!" Following his order, April pushed her umbrella into her enemy's chest and pulled the trigger, the shot at point blank pushing him back.

Now he had to help the others. Nelson and Terrance were clashing, nothing he could do there. But Remus against Mata and Laban was going poorly. Remus popped into smoke but the gust from Laban's propellor blades split the smoke apart, stunning him when his semblance wore off. Mata switched her weapon mode to a welrod pistol, about to fire at him.

"MATA!" Silas intervened, swinging his axe up to flick her pistol aim up, her shot missing.

"Wait your turn, scum." Mata hissed, kicking him in the stomach. The moment had given Remus a chance to fight back, swinging his sword and scratching Mata's side, followed by a pistol shot. Her aura flashed and she backed off. "I'm gonna make you suffer for that." She threatened Remus.

"I'm suffering by fighting you." Remus replied, remaining stoic.

"Nice one." Laban complimented, using the moment to fling one of his propellor blades, the whole thing coming flying off like an oversized shuriken! Both boys had to block those with their weapons, giving Mata an opportunity. She grabbed Remus' arm and her aura glowed a nasty purple, Remus trying to pull away from her. Silas' eyes widened. How could he have forgotten?! Her semblance!

"Heh. Labann, hold these two here." Mata backed off and ran over to the other side of the arena, towards the rest of Silas' team.

"Guys, incoming! Don't let her touch you!" Silas shouted to April and Terrance. His focus was split… but now Remus wasn't being double teamed, he could go help the others. He turned to run and stop Mata. But as he ran, something began dragging him backwards, tugging on his coat. He dug in his heels, but he couldn't run!

"Where ya going, Silas?" Laban smirked, a windy vortex emerging from his hand as his aura flared, a vacuum gust sucking Silas back towards him. Remus swung at him, only for him to block with his propellor blade and swing at him. Remus grunted, reeling from the hit. And worse still, his aura seemed to be decreasing slowly on the board.

"Remus!" Silas called to his teammate. "It's her semblance! Help me out, quick!" He couldn't stop the vacuum pulling him back, he couldn't get to April and Laban was blocking Remus' attacks. But Remus had an idea. He quickly pulled the ammo cartridge out of his weapon and slotted in a new one, a lightning bolt symbol printed on it. He opened fire on Laban and this time when the bullets hit his weapon, sparks lanced out and raked over his arm. He faltered, just long enough to stop his vacuum. Silas spun on the spot and fired a shotgun, knocking Laban back. "Thanks Remus!" A quick turn on his heels and he was back to chasing down Mata. He didn't know how long Remus had, but he couldn't let Mata do that to anyone else on his team.

"Whiskey! Mike! Delta!" As he ran, he heard a shout from the enemy team. Somewhere he couldn't quite see, but he could tell something was coming. Though the worlds were meaningless to him. As he ran, he saw something rise up into the air, spinning with great speed and arcing overhead. He realised too late what it was. It was an explosive round. And it was headed for Remus and Laban.

"REMUUUUUUS!" Silas cried out, turning just in time to see the explosive hit. A great cloud of fire and smoke burst out of it, more dust power than Silas had ever seen. The blast knocked him off his feet, onto his back, the smoke filling his nostrils with their acrid stench. His breath got shorter, he couldn't breathe, he could barely think. But one sound did ring through his ears. The klaxon.

"And one member of team STAR is down with that incredible explosive attack!" The voice of Professor Port rang around the arena. One glance at the screens confirmed it. Remus was out.

"Damnit… DAMNIT!" Silas shouted, springing back up as fast as he could. He was still in shock from the blast but determination was pushing him now. No way would he let Mata take his team out of this like that, not if he could stop her.

At first, things seemed better once he found his team. For some reason, Panzer had been beaten back by one of Terrance's hammer swings and April was keeping Nelson back with shots from her brolly. He watched Terrance's weapon shift as he fired a rocket at Panzer, only for it to be shot and blown up in the air. Mata had reached them and she lunged for Terrance's arm.

"TERRANCE!" Silas howled and the blonde boy noticed just in time, aura crackling as he stomped on the ground. He created a small sonic boom, knocking her away. She skidded back and recovered, smiling at the blonde.

"Not bad, Terry. Can't believe someone with a semblance like yours wastes it with a loser like him." She glanced at Silas, still rushing to catch them. "He's only dragging down your natural talent."

"The only thing dragging me down is you!" Terrance snapped, a twisted scowl covering his face. Silas could see it, Mata was playing into his rage to make him lax. And it was working, when he swung at her, she ducked under and struck his knee with her baton. Terrance grunted as he went down on one knee and Mata went to grab him, only to be shot by April.

"Leave him alone!" April cried, reloading and trying to fire again. A sudden large bubble of water struck April in the side, carrying her off into a nearby tree, courtesy of Nelson. His aura was flashing a bright blue, conjuring a second sphere of water in his left hand. But Silas finally got to him and took a swing at the large boy, slashing his side.

"Back off, creep." Nelson turned and flicked his hand, shooting the water bubble. Silas rolled quickly, the bubble shooting over him, firing his shotgun at Nelson's legs. It stumbled him enough for him to speak.

"April! Terrance! Splash bomb!" He called out, getting up just in time to block Nelson's overhead anchor swing. April and Terrance's eyes met and they nodded. Silas rushed at Mata, swinging his fan axe. He knew her deft use of her baton was better than his swinging with his weapon, but he had to keep her busy whilst his teammates prepared their double attack. April put her umbrella up and conjured her rain cloud above her, storming down on her like nothing else. Nelson and Panzer moved to attack her, but the storming rain kept them at bay, the acid water making their aura sizzle slightly on contact. After a few seconds, April ducked and opened her umbrella. Then Terrance activated the rocket hammer function of his weapon and struck the ground, Silas ducking behind a tree after avoiding an attack from Mata. A sonic boom echoed and the water from April's stormcloud flew all around them in a splash attack, striking all three members of team Napalm, doing some heavy aura damage to them. Finally, Silas felt like his team was getting to grips with their enemies.

"Tch, real clever." Mata snapped. "Panzer, blast him."

"Sir yes sir!" Panzer snapped to attention and to Silas' shock, he slammed his own weapon onto the strange socket on his shoulder. The head of his mace connected to it and the handle pointed forward, opening into a gun barrel.

Since when did Panzer's weapon double as a tank turret?!

He tried to move and held but Mata intercepted him, jabbing him in the side with her baton, charged with lightning dust. Silas was stunned, just long enough for an explosive to shoot out of Panzer's weapon, going right for Terrance. He was a big guy, he'd never dodge it!

And that was the moment April leapt in front of the shot, opening her brolly to block the hit. Another horribly huge explosion rocked the area, like the one that had taken out Remus, blowing back the trees and knocking Silas into the bark. Through the smoke, he could barely see a thing. But he heard that sound. The klaxon, once again.

But what followed was a roar he recognised, followed by a loud sonic boom, the smoke blasting in all directions and a body smacking into a nearby tree. Then another klaxon. When Silas checked the board, he could see April had been eliminated. But so had Panzer! A second glance and Silas saw the prostrate form of the boy in green, groaning and holding his middle. Terrance stood over him, his face ablaze with lightning fuelled anger. A further glance told him why. April was on the ground nearby, the canvas on her umbrella ripped and torn. A hand instinctively reached for her, but was retracted. There was nothing he could do for her now.

"Sir! I… I'm down, sir!" Panzer shouted, still full of gusto even when downed.

"Blonde wretch." Mata hissed, picking herself up alongside Nelson, facing down the thundering boy, hammer in hand and ready to crush them both.

"You! Won't! Hurt! MY TEAM!" Terrance bellowed, changing his hammer to RPG mode.

SHNK!

From out of nowhere, two propellor shaped blades struck into Terrance's shoulder and his aura shattered. Silas' final teammate fell and once more, the klaxon sounded.

"Told you i'd pay you back." Laban sneered, his blades clicking back onto his arms as he emerged. How could Silas have forgotten that he'd survived that blast?!

"And another loss for team Star!" Professor Port shouted over the crowd. "Looks like it's almost over!"

Silas was alone.

The moment he saw Terrance fall, he turned and ran, putting as much distance between himself and those three monsters as he could, chest pounding like a piston. It was over. He was back in combat school, a scared little kid with a worthless semblance, at the mercy of the strong, ready to devour him. The forest flew around him, the great looming trees, the rustling leaves mocking his cowardice. But he knew better, he couldn't face them. He couldn't fight three on his own. It was over.

"STOP IT!" He shouted at himself, punching a nearby tree, trying to stop himself from running. "Stop running Silas, stop it!" He gritted his teeth, scrunching his eyes shut. Visions of his teammates blown away and destroyed by these bullies. He couldn't let that slide! Even if he couldn't beat them, he wasn't going to go down without a fight! His grip tightened upon his fan axe as he turned, spying three shapes coming toward him. No, he wouldn't just go down easy. He'd fight, the only way he could.

Underhandedly.

He took a running start at the nearest tree and jumped onto it, climbing up into the leaves and hiding amongst them. Through the foliage, he caught sight of the board. Mata still had 34% of her aura left, but Nelson was lagging on 21% and Laban was borderline out, at 17%. He still had about 28% left. No way he could take them man to man. But, he still had one last trick up his sleeve. The one they mocked him for.

"Guys, he's on the left!" Silas shouted, in the voice of Laban. The three turned quickly, seeing nothing. Silas used this moment to slip out of the tree and rush behind them.

"Laban, keep it to yourself!" Mata snapped.

"I didn't say anything, you idiot!" The boy argued.

"Well I heard it." Nelson added with a grunt. They continued to look and Silas poked his head out from behind the tree. They were confused, now he just had to spin them in circles.

"How's the bruise, Laban?!" He shouted in Terrance's voice and ducked behind another tree. They whipped around.

"Shut it, blondie! I took you out, don't make me put you down for good!" Laban threatened, revving his helicopter blades. That wouldn't sound good for the audience, Silas thought.

"Come and make me, windbag!" He shouted again. He had to lure them closer if he was going to do this. All he needed was a clean shot. He split his fan axes apart, hearing the crunch of the grass underfoot behind the tree. Closer. Closer. So very close. And then…

"Ready for another rending, you b-" Laban raised a fist, but Silas' blade met his stomach first. It was more than enough to eliminate him and wipe that smile off his face, but it had a further use. He propped the boy up, using him as a guard against the two behind him, stopping Nelson who was about to attack. But Mata was already making tracks, running to loop around and get past him. Silas smiled, she was doing what he'd hoped she would. He ducked behind the tree and popped out the other side, firing a shotgun right at Nelson. Not all of it hit, but there was enough to bring his aura down below 15%, the white suited lad clutching his chest. Two down, one to go.

That's what he thought when Mata struck him in the neck with her baton.

"Oh so clever, Silas." she snapped, turning up the voltage and jabbing again, this time he blocked with an axe. They fought back and forth, Mata was the quicker but Silas' weapon let him block her easier. They scored glancing blow after glancing blow, their auras flashing one after the other, thinking of nothing else but putting a stop to the other. Their eyes met in ferocious tension, their weapons locked as they pushed into one another. They were stalemated, neither wanting to let up. They kept pushing and grunting… until Silas pulled his last trick.

"I love you, Mata." This time, he didn't need a voice. He just spoke in his own voice. And there was a flinch, that brief moment where her mind was cast back to combat school.

And in that instant, Silas yanked an axe back and jabbed it into her stomach. The klaxon sounded.

"And look at that, what a startling twist to this match up!" Professor Oobleck yelled into the mic. "The leader of Team Star just turned the tables and won the match!"

The crowd was both cheering and in an uproar over Silas' dirty tactics. But he cared little. He'd done it. He did it for himself and for his team. And as he saw Mata kneeling before him, frustration etched into her face, fingers clawing at the spurned earth below her.

"You feel that?" Silas asked her, a cold look covering his face. "That's how you've made me feel, all these years." A flash of anger sparked in her eyes. "You deserved this." He turned to go and find his team. He saw Terrance lumbering toward him. He'd never been happier to see him as he was right now.

SHLKT!

That was the moment Silas felt something sharp puncture his back. His aura was down. A push dagger hidden in Mata's belt, shoved into his back. Silas went down, crying out in pain. Mata stood over him, blistering white hot rage on her face.

"And that's how it feels to be a loser, you scum." She sneered.

"YOU BIIIIIIIITCH!" Terrance roared, rushing at her and aiming a punch for her face. She ducked under it and swung her dagger. The blade slashed across the large boy's face, hitting his eyes. He gasped and reeled backwards, a hand clutching at his face in pain. Mata snarled and prepared to strike again, until…

"Mata Nightshade, stand down at once!" Several Atlesian Knights swarmed her, guns trained on her, the shocked silence of the crowd washing over her and the two boys she'd just injured.

Silas' face twisted in pain, shock and utter despair. Despair in victory.

He never truly stood a chance against someone like Mata.


End file.
